


It was not what I expected

by DK06



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Genderbending, No Beta, Second Chances, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-26
Updated: 2017-08-29
Packaged: 2018-09-26 23:39:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 30,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9931307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DK06/pseuds/DK06
Summary: Bilbo Baggins carried many secrets and regrets to his grave but he will have a second chance... and many change in his new life





	1. New Beginning

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Well....shit](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6892024) by [Uruvion13m](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Uruvion13m/pseuds/Uruvion13m). 



> This work was inspired by:
> 
> \- Well....shit -> http://archiveofourown.org/works/6892024/chapters/15723508  
> \- Second Chance -> http://archiveofourown.org/works/6710161/chapters/15345691  
> \- Hunting Erebor -> http://archiveofourown.org/works/6026578/chapters/13823248  
> \- A "Little" Problem -> http://archiveofourown.org/works/5301344/chapters/12238670

* * *

**NOTE:**

 

 

> 'Thoughts'
> 
> _Sindarin_
> 
> **_Khuzdul_ **
> 
> **Black Speech**

* * *

 

 

 

“I want to leave with your friendship,” said Thorin, lying on the floor.

“No. You're not going anywhere, Thorin. You're going to live”

“I would retract my words and actions at the Gate. You did what only a true friend would do “ he said with less and less energy in his voice” forgive me. I was too blind to see it. I'm so sorry to have sent you to such danger.

“No, I'm glad I shared your dangers, Thorin. Each and every one of them. It is much more than any Baggins deserves”

“Goodbye, my thief. Go back to your books. And to your armchair. Plant your trees. Watch them grow”  almost without strength “if more people valued the home than gold this world would be a happier place” and these were his last words.

“No, wait, Thorin... I-I lo-” but it was too late, he had gone to a place where Bilbo couldn’t follow him.

Bilbo woke up with tears in his eyes and in a whisper said “I love you”

 

Bilbo Baggins had awakened with that same dream every day since the battle of the five armies. Poor Bilbo Baggins had always had to hide several secrets all his life, including to the person he loved, one of whom is that he was a woman and although she didn’t have any chance with Thorin for being a hobbit, but maybe he could have even looked at her if he had known that she was woman.

It had been several years since the battle but she remember everything, now she could barely get out of bed in the mornings, and the elves have always been so attentive that they take her food and several books in those days. But this day was different, she could barely open her eyes and felt her energies leave her body slowly. Before leaving she made sure to say goodbye to Frodo, her beautiful boy, how much she would have liked to avoid the accident of his parents so the poor lad would not have had to go through everything that happened to him. She could feel the presence of Elrond beside her, Elrond had been her best friend, he might even have become the owner of her heart if she hadn’t met Thorin.

With a smile on her face was how she said goodbye.

 

 

When she open her eyes again she was in a beautiful garden “ hello my little and beautiful girl... ” she heard a beautiful voice say and when she turn, in front of her was the lady Yavanna, when she offered her a bow “ reverence isn’t necessary... ” she said with a smile “ I couldn't help seeing that even in your last moments you blamed yourself for many things…”

“Well... ” she said with a faint smile “I could do many things different…”

“And would you like to try?” Bilbo nodded “I can give you the opportunity... ” the hobbit could not help smiling “ listen to me, you will return 10 years before your great adventure, so you will have enough time to prepare yourself... oh, and you will have someone next to you... ”

 

 

 

With that said Yavanna smiled and faded, everything around her darkened. When Bilbo opened her eyes she noticed the ceiling, the same one that was made of wood and was not as high as the ceiling of her room in Rivendell, when she looked around, she realized that everything was becoming familiar to her, not only were her things, she was in Bag End. It had not been a dream. Which meant that there were many things to do, if she had listened correctly she was ten years before her trip to Erebor which meant that she was only 30 years old right now and her parents had just died. Well at least that would ensure that no hobbit would come to her house for the next month and would have enough time to define everything she would do from now. Although there was something she didn’t understand and was that Yavanna said that this time she wouldn’t be alone, what did she mean by that?

He shook his head, whatever it was she would find out eventually she had to take care of everything that related to her future life now.

 

After all day thinking she had determined that the most important points were:

  * First, name Drogo and Primula as her successors and teach them everything about her business, as well as making sure they both know how to swim.
  * Second, learn to fight. She couldn’t afford to be a burden like the last time.
  * Third, make sure to learn how to use her powers, this time she would be helpful.
  * Fourth, finding the ring was inevitable but this time it would be she who would destroy it.



 


	2. Another Chance

* * *

**NOTE:**

 

 

> 'Thoughts'
> 
> _Sindarin_
> 
> **_Khuzdul_ **
> 
> **Black Speech**

* * *

 

**~~ACTUAL WORLD~~ **

 

Taking advantage of a day when I knew there would be no one at home, I did it the same as last time but this time make sure to close the door. I took the knife, the same one from the last time as I knew that with it I would accomplish my task, my right wrist still hurt, it had taken me six months of lies make my parents leave me alone again 'what am I doing? If I’m caught this time I would be sent to an asylum... only if I survive' were my thoughts. I was sitting on the floor of my room, in the same place as last time "if there is a God, please... I know I have not the slightest right to ask for a wish but could you erase my existence from this world? If I had not been born... the lives of many could be better" were my words while I felt the unmistakable pain in my left wrist, deepening the wound a little more "please..." and with those words I felt the pain disappear and my eyes were closing slowly, I had taken several sleeping pills before doing it so I could handle the pain.

 

 

…

A light bothered me, I have sensitivity to light so I could not open my eyes without hurting 'great, now I will have to endure the looks of grief of the nurses and the scolding of my parents and doctors' I kept my eyes closed and I sat down as best I could as the pain started to appear on my left wrist, I heard someone approaching "hello Dr. Rose... how is the family? Missed me? It's been six months since we last met, right?" I knew my jokes were not the best and least after what I did but it has always been like this, I always try to hide my fear, my sadness, my problems behind a curtain of jokes and smiles.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you..." said a soft melodic voice "but I'm not Dr. Rose-"

"Let me guess... my parents got tired of my nonsense and sent me straight to a nursing home?"

"No-"

"So I'm dead?" I said with more emotion than I wanted to show.

"No" I fell against the back of the bed, not knowing that I had separated so much from her "you are in Eä-"

"Ea? What is Ea and who are you?"

 

I could clearly hear how the person next to me sighed and smiled "I am Yavanna Kementari and-"

"Wait! Are you trying to tell me that you are a valar created by Eru and and the queen of the earth?" I started laughing "a good joke, you're trying to tell me that I'm in front of a fictional character created by the professor -who I must admit is my favorite fantasy author- and that I'm supposed to believe that I'm in the Middle Earth" I said opening slowly the eyes a little more accustomed to the light, but I didn’t expect what I found. In front of me was a beautiful tall woman with long honey-colored hair, penetrating but kind green eyes, her figure was the one that any woman would chase, in her head rested a strange crown? Flowers, feathers and branches, her dress was green and had various details of flowers, leaning a little to the edge of the bed I saw that where she was standing there were several flowers and she was walking barefoot "saying that I believe you... why I am here?"

"I will answer that" there was a strong, firm but gentle voice saying, and as I looked up, I saw a man taller than the present woman, he had long black hair that contrasted with his pale skin and dressed a long pale blue and beige robe with gold and silver accents, his very presence made me feel small "I chose you" I have the habit of pointing to me when I was trapped and this occasion was no exception, the man nodded and said "you asked me to erase your existence, right? are you sure of that?" I didn’t know if what was happening was true but dream or not, that was my wish so I nodded and next to the bed appeared a strange font, the man made a gesture for me to look and I did. I saw my parents, without my birth they didn’t have to marry and had separate lives, without having to take care of me and having only to work for her my mother became a successful lawyer, while my father traveled around the world taking photographs without having to worry, they both formed different families, I thought I wouldn’t see my brother, but there he was, he was the older brother now, my mother's consent and the best student as always, filling their parents with pride, something I never do.

"This is true?" both nodded "why did you choose me?"

"I've sent several Maiar to Middle-earth... many have as mission to finish shaping the world but others I asked them to take care and protect the good habitants from the dark, but many have been corrupted by it, while others have failed to comply with it..."

"An example is Oiar's maiar" said Yavanna, crossing her arms.

"You're Eru, I guess?" I said in a low voice, my head did not have space for jokes at the moment. Eru nodded "but I don’t understand, why did you choose me? I bet there are other humans more capable than me..."

"You are the only one, whose mind and heart completely wanted to cease to exist, the rest of humans say that they want to die, but it is only a lie that fill their mind and heart, leaving their true desire in the depths of these, others want to die but still yearn for their life after death. Instead, you wanted to disappear completely, there was no doubt or hidden desires…"

'This was perfect to me, I can be free' where my thoughts so I said what I really think "you looked for someone who doesn’t cause you problems wishing to return... sounds reasonable and I no longer exist in my world so... what do you want me to do?"

Yavanna and Eru approached me "do you know Bilbo?"

"Bilbo Baggins? the hobbit?" I nodded.

"My poor child had to live many painful things, his life was miserable and full of secrets. I want him to have a second chance, with Eru's permission, I can return him in time for a few years before Thorin Oakenshield and his company arrive at his door, ten years to be exact and I want this story to have a happy ending this time. I don’t want him to suffer-"

"Why ten years? I'm sorry to interrupt you but I'm curious..."

"It was when he lost his parents... and my idea is to send you to keep his company and help him... of course I already inform him... your mission will be to take care of my child, to make sure that those proud Dwarves don’t die and the ring is destroyed..."

I could not help smiling "it makes me feel like I was a maiar..."

Yavanna and Eru looked at each other and then Yavanna smiled and said "you will become my maia just like Aiwendil (Radagast)..."

Pointing at me I said in a choked way "I?" Yavanna nodded "but I have no powers..."

"You will have them... one will give it from me and another from Eru... like a wish tell me what you would like..."

Opening and closing the mouth like a fish I said "anything?" Eru nodded and for the first time in many years I smiled and started to think 'I want to fly, to have strength, to run fast... stop fantasizing with superheroes...' but then I remembered "the skin-changer was always one of the characters... I found him the most fascinating creature, could you give me the skill of change in any creature that I want?"

Eru nodded and said "I could do it, but nothing is free and less a power of that magnitude... the change will hurt, the bigger the diference between you and the beast you choose the more it will hurt you to transform..."

"Never mind" I said at once, Eru looked at me and nodded. A few seconds later I said "but it is too much to ask... you could give me the magic to prevent my clothes from ripping, that is, when I return to my true form not to be like I came into the world... please?" for a second I could see what looked like a smile on Eru's lips, but it might have been my imagination.

He nodded "it's my turn" Yavanna came up to me, held my face and put her nose against mine "now you have the ability of my children to listen to plants and animals."

"Hobbits can do that?" Yavanna nodded.

"Many have lost that ability with the animals, but don’t worry Bilbo has it" I was surprised to hear that, Yavanna smiled "why do you think Beorn liked him so much... that's will be all for now, don’t worry Bilbo remembers everything and Gandalf Knows that a new Maia will come to the world-"

"Wait!" said someone entering the room, which caused Yavanna to move away from me, so I felt a strange feeling of emptiness. The newcomer had brown hair long enough to touch his shoulders, thin golden braids fell on either side of his neck, and a thin gold crown rested on his head, he wore red, with large leather gloves, and in his hands he has beautiful hammer of gold and silver with several precious stones in it. As he approached the bed I looked at him and I could feel a chill creep through my spine "is she? she looks weak and useless..." his comment annoyed me, the strange thing is that I had gotten used to hearing those words, then why it bothered me 'you are starting again, and this time you will not be useless' was what I told myself, listening to what said the newcomer "...you should have chosen someone better, are you telling me to leave my children's lives in her hands?"

"Why are you angry?" I said without thinking "if you mind you can take care of them, you did an excellent job the first time..." I could see how Yavanna smiled, pride? That was a smile of pride addressed to me? He growled at me.

"Aule, enough... Eru and I chose her, you are saying that you doubt us?" Aule? So that's why the dwarves are such hardheads "give her a chance" he sighed but nodded and approached me, I couldn't help but pull away a little when he tried to touch me "calm down, I will not hurt you" he said putting his forehead against mine "now you have the stone-sense, you can tell when a stone is false and if you are in a stone structure you can see all the passages without problem..." Yavanna was surprised at the actions of her husband but smiled

"Are you ready?" she said approaching to me and I nodded "what bothers you?"

"It’s just that when I reach Erebor I will be 31 years old and unlike Aragorn I am not descended from elves, I will not live much..."

"Your life time is not defined yet and like Bilbo you’ll returned 10 years..."

I was very surprised by what was said but then I remembered "my wounds..." I said pointing my wrists "they will disappear?"

Eru looked at me and said "they will... but they will appear again, in the same dates in which you did them..."

"Will they hurt? Will I make them myself? Will they appear out of nowhere?"

"They will appear, hurt and bleed like when you did them..."

I took a deep breath and nodded, I stop asking, it was a price I was willing to put off for a different life, for a new beginning. When I realized the hand of Eru was in front of my eyes, one moment I was in that strange and illuminated room and the next I felt a slight breeze on my face and something itching my neck, when I opened my eyes I was under a tree, I looked up and around me and I realized that it was not a dream, my mind is not so crazy as to create such a perfect landscape.


	3. Knowing you

* * *

**NOTE:**

 

 

> 'Thoughts'
> 
> _Sindarin_
> 
> **_Khuzdul_ **
> 
> **Black Speech**

* * *

 

 

Bilbo got up early because a knock on her door, it was too early for Drogo or Primula classes. It had been three months since her return and she had made sure to make clear to Thain and Camelia Sackville that her heirs would be Drogo Baggins and Primula Brandybuck, in those three months she made sure that they learned all the necessary. Not forgetting the swimming lessons, it has gone better than she had planned. Bilbo had hired a man to teach them, of course the first few days they barely got into the water but now they both loved it.

The knocks were heard again at her door "I'm coming!" when she opened was surprised to see Gandalf standing in front of her, she wasn't ready yet hadn't learned to use a sword, perhaps the signals were ahead? "good morning..."

"What do you mean?" Gandalf asked "do you want a good day, or do you want to say that it is a good day, whether I want it or not or that today you feel good that it is a day when it should be good?"

Bilbo sighed, remembering the first time he heard him say it "all that at once... can I help you? Because I don’t think I know you so you don’t have a motive to come to visit..."

"I do know you, Bilbo Baggins, and you know me even if you don’t remember me, I am Gandalf!"

Bilbo looked like she was thinking "Gandalf? The friend of my mother and grandfather? The one of the fireworks? What brings you here after so long?"

"I'm sorry I didn’t come before but your mother's memory made it difficult for me to visit... and I’m here to ask you a favor-"

"A favor?"

Gandalf nodded "yes" moved his cloak and showed a child "I need someone to take care of the little one for a while..."

"Wait! You cannot just leave me a human boy... why don’t you take him with his family?"

"Unfortunately he has no family, no one cares... I plan to take him to Rivendell but at the moment it’s impossible, since I need to take care of other matters before and the way is dangerous for a small child..."

 

Bilbo sighed looking for the first time to the boy he was taller than her but it was noticeable that he was young, his hair was short and dark brown, while his eyes were amber and they looked at her with a glitter. Bilbo shook her head and let them in.

Once inside "why me?"

"I asked him to bring me here" said the boy, surprising Bilbo.

"You? Why?"

"Well, I'll let you know each other" Gandalf said with a smile and looked at the boy "I’ll come for you in a couple of months..." and then he looked at Bilbo, bowed and left.

Bilbo was astonished looking at the door and the boy in her hall "you didn’t answer my question, why did you ask him to bring you here?"

The boy rested on his knee and with a bow said "I was sent by Yavanna to help you... I know all about your second chance, Erebor and the ring..."

"You're the one that Yavanna told me?" the boy nodded, Bilbo took a deep breath "but you're just a kid..."

"I'm not a human boy like you said..." Bilbo looked at him "I am the same as Gandalf or something like that..."

"A wizard?"

"No... I don’t know but I have powers... and I should not keep any secret from you..." Bilbo looked surprised "first I'm not a boy I'm a girl, I hate dresses, skirts and long hair so I pretend to be a boy is easier than to endure the scolding of the women of all races... the second the valar chose me among my own because my existence was easy to erase... and just like the hobbits I can listen to the plants and animals, and like the dwarves I have stone-sense, and... I can change into different animals..." she finish with a slight smile.

"Animals? Like Beorn?"

The girl nodded "but a difference from Beorn, I can transform into any animal..."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because from today I will be at your service and your family, Master Baggins... I hope not to be a burden for you..."

Bilbo took a deep breath several times and looking at the girl said "do you like tea? Because I feel like I need a cup..." the girl nodded and they went to the kitchen where they sat and the girl said everything that had happened to her.

"You tried to take your life?" Bilbo said shocked and the girl nodded "why?"

"Desperation, frustration... I felt empty and aimless…"

Bilbo covered her mouth with her hands "it's hard to hear a child say that..."

"My appearance is of a 10 year old girl but in mind I have 21... i suppose?"

"That is still young for a hobbit..." the girl down her eyes "now that I think of it, I didn’t know your name..."

"Delya"

 

 

After that, they both talked about what their first three months had been like in their new life and how they had been. Bilbo told her the pain and helplessness she had felt all her life after the battle and Delya told her the desperation she had felt for not having dreams and feeling useless in her family.

Bilbo sighed to realize that they had spent the whole day talking "since we are going to live together and you shared your secrets with me I think it is only fair that I do the same" Delya told her that it wasn't necessary but Bilbo "calm down, I want to do this... first, like you I’m a woman" Bilbo felt as if a knot that had been kept in her throat her whole life had just been released "and I am not a common hobbit... I am half fairy and for some strange reason I inherit some things that the rest of my Family did not..." Delya looked at her with open eyes and mouth. It was clear that Delya didn't expect such information.

"You can show me?" Bilbo nodded and for the first time in many years she showed her true appearance and wings to someone "I can also show you..." Delya closed her eyes and Bilbo was surprised to see how the girl in front of her took the form of a small canary.

"That is awesome..."

 

 

For a month they spent discovering the things they liked and did not, getting to know each other. Delya seemed to enjoy her time in Bag End a lot, she go up the hill lie down in the shade of the tree and read some of Bilbo's books until some of the meals were ready. Bilbo became accustomed to having her always next to her, Primula cried of joy to know her, well for her she was a 10 year old boy with a round nose and soft cheeks, although a little thin, reason for which she brought her a basket of sandwiches, cookies and scones every time she visit Bilbo for her lessons.

 

 

 

During their time together they created a little routine, in which they spent time reading in the living room until it was time to prepare food.

Bilbo had one of her books in one hand, while the other petted Delya's hair, who slept in her lap. It had become a habit to do it ever since she discovered that the girl had never received such kindness.

 

<< Flashback >>

"No one ever stroked your hair!?"

Delya looked at her and nodded as she ate a cookie "my parents worked from early in the morning until late at night so I was always home alone... and when my mom changed jobs my brother arrived so all the attention was for he" she takes another cookie "but I don’t understand why it bothers you?"

"It may be small things but they are signs of affection that strengthen the bond between people... my mother told me that is those small moments are what strengthen the relationship between mother and daughter..."

Delya shrugged "in my house everyone was by their side, we may sometimes eat together but apart from that everyone had their room, their world... the only thing that related us were blood and papers..."

"That's not right... come here" Bilbo said, touching the place beside her "lie down" she pointed to her lap, Delya seemed to hesitate but obey and Bilbo began to comb her hair and in a matter of minutes Delya was asleep.

<< End of Flashback >>

 

It was almost time for lunch, so Bilbo woke Delya.

"It's time to prepare the food..." she said as Delya got up and began to stretch "you want to help me?"

Delya's eyes widened as she began to chuckle "the kitchen and me? we didn’t have a good relationship..."

"It can not be that bad, I've taught some of my Took cousins I don’t think teaching you is too difficult..." with that in mind Bilbo dragged her into the kitchen, but the result was devastating. Some things were burnt and the ones that did not have a... unique flavor.

Delya looked like a scolded puppy, shrinking more and more in her chair and Bilbo began to laugh as she had not done in a long time "calm down" she said more calmly "you’ll manage to cook something decent or my name isn’t Bilbo Baggins Took"

 

 

Another week passed, Delya didn’t separate from Bilbo's side at any moment causing Bilbo to feel strange without her around.

"It's weird to see you alone Master Baggins, where is Master Delya this morning?" said one of the hobbits at the market.

"Sleeping late..." Bilbo said with a smile. The truth is that she had decided not to bring her in case she see Camelia.

"You finally got rid of the tramp?"

Bilbo felt her hand tighten her grip as she heard Camelia Sackville's voice "Good morning to you too, Aunt Camelia... and I would appreciate it if you didn’t call Delya like that..."

"But it's what it is... I cannot believe you've picked up a human boy, if you want children you should just think about getting married with some lass and have some, not on picking heirs from your cousins and picking up garbage-"

"But look the time Aunt Camelia, I'm getting late to prepare the second breakfast, if you'll excuse me-"

"Bilbo Baggins, come here! I'm talking!" Bilbo walked as fast as she could, because she could clearly feel the anger rising "whoever thinks she is to talk about my child like that" she stopped and covered her mouth 'my child' had gone only two months together and she already considered Delya her child "I could adopt her..." with a smile and those thoughts, she walk in the direction of Bag End. When she arrived she found a pair of boots at her door "Delya!"

 

"Bilbo... we have visitors..."

"Gandalf..." she said when she saw the wizard sitting in her dining room "what are you doing here?"

"I'm surprised you asked me, I came to pick up Delya... I'll take her to Rivendell as I mention..."

"To Rivendell? but..." she looks at Delya.

"Gandalf could you..." she said looking at Bilbo.

Gandalf nodded "I'll be outside smoking, let me know when you're ready..." Delya nodded.

"Rivendell?" Delya nodded "why?"

Delya looked at her as if she did not understand the question "Gandalf told Lord Elrond about me and he accept that I stay in Rivendell for as long as I want, I plan to ask him to teach me everything I need to know for the trip, I think these years will be enough to learn some useful things... maybe I can join the rangers..." she said with a smile "but don’t worry I'm planning to return before the day that Thorin and the others come..."

"I am not going to see you?" Bilbo said with a sad smile.

"I'm plannig to return-"

"But just before the trip. You plan to go for 10 years..."

"I..."

"I wanted to ask you something... I wanted to know if you would accept me adopting you..." Delya was surprised to hear her saying that and without noticing some tears began to roll down her cheeks

"You want..." she said in a low voice "I didn’t know what to say-" but Bilbo cradled her face and putting their noses together she nodded, Delya smiled and hugged her.

"I cannot stop you going to Rivendell but send me letters and try to come and visit me..."

"If I use my powers I may come once per week, I have to do something?... you need something for... adopt me?"

"Some papers, which I'm going to ask my uncle... don’t forget the letters"

"I can try to talk to Lord Elrond and see what I'm allowed to do... I'll send letters whenever I can..." Bilbo hugged her again. 


	4. Before the Quest

* * *

**NOTE:**

 

 

> 'Thoughts'
> 
> _Sindarin_
> 
> **_Khuzdul_ **
> 
> **Black Speech**

* * *

 

 

When Delya arrived at Rivendell, she could not help looking around, the place was impressive no fairy tale landscape could compare. The elves also surprised her, all so stylized that she thought being in that place was not a good idea.

"What's wrong, my girl?"

Delya looked everywhere and then in her mind "Yavanna?"

He could hear the slight laughter of her "why so worried?"

"They... I don’t fit into this place... why would they accept me? this was a bad idea..." but then she heard the voice of someone else and came out of her thoughts to look at the black elf standing in front of her, inadvertently stepped back.

The elf smiled "I am Elrond Lord of Imladris or also known as Rivendell... you are welcome to stay as long as you wish. Gandalf had told me about you, he said that you are a Maia of Yavanna Kementari... I must say that I am surprised that she sent someone so young..." he said as he led them to another room.

"I-" she try to say but the words do not come out. Elrond stopped in front of her kneeling to stay the same height, with a warm smile on his face waiting "I would like to learn... I want to learn to defend myself and those I love..."

"Gandalf told me about your closeness to one of Yavanna's children..."

"Bilbo, his name is Bilbo... and we've become close..."

"If you want to learn who I am to deny you that right" but before he said anything else, Delya spoke again.

"I'd also like to ask permission to visit him..."

"Travel alone? At your age?"

"I can do it... I don't think Gandalf has already mentioned you about my powers"

"We can think on something..."

 

 

A month later, they agreed on the classes the little girl would take.

Healing with Elrond and the chief of nursing. She would learn to use weapons when she turns16, classes that would have archery with Elladan, sword with Elrohir and the use of daggers with the captain of the rangers, Elion. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t learn to defend herself, since unarmed defense classes wouldn’t have to wait. Elrond offered to teach her Sindarin, history and diplomacy, the last Elrond suggested when he realized that the little one had problems to control her temperament.

 

 

 

It had been a year since Delya had left and although she had obtained Elrond's permission to visit Bilbo once a month, she had decided to stay for a full year studying, but that didn’t prevent Bilbo receiving a letter every two days, being the latter the reason why the next day she got up humming, which surprised Primula a lot when she arrived.

"I know you're glad to see me, but you've never hummed before" Primula said, smiling.

"Good morning Primula... what are you doing here so early?"

"Drogo said yesterday that a letter arrived from our little Delya and that you had not stopped smiling, so I guess it was a good thing..."

"Delya comes to visit-"

But before she could finish, Primula was screaming "when!?"

"Today, I guess" then the door was heard and Primula didn’t think twice before going to the door, Bilbo was after her, on reaching the hall couldn’t help laughing at the face that poor Primula put on seeing that it was Drogo. Bilbo returned to the kitchen and then heard a knock on the back door, opening her arms as she opened it, because on the other side was her daughter "how was the trip?" she said as she hugged her.

"Fun, I had not flown so much in my whole life."

"You must be exhausted-" but at that moment Primula came in and saw her scream and hug her. The rest of the day was spent talking about what she had done in Rivendell. When Primula and Drogo left, the first thing they did was sit on the couch, Bilbo smiling as she stroked Delya's head, who was already sleeping.

 

 

The next morning, Delya said that she had missed Bilbo's meal, while Bilbo told her that she had done all the paperwork and that in the records of the shire she was the daughter of Bilbo.

"What does that mean?"

"Well, one of the things is that from now on when you present you will have to say Baggins Took as your surnames, but other than that you will always have a home wherever I am..." Delya smiled and they both enjoyed it their time together.

 

 

 

The following years Delya proved to have talent in battle, her instincts were good and with only two years of training she was able to face anyone without using weapons. The following years were just as productive, she learned quickly and performed so well that her weapons training was advanced.

On the other hand, she managed to convince Bilbo to accompany her to Rivendell on more than one occasion. Elrond and Bilbo soon became close, Bilbo also got some classes from Sindarin and at Delya's insistence some defense classes, which Bilbo was very grateful for.

 

 

A few months before the trip to Erebor. Bilbo and Delya were in Bag End arranging the last details, thanks to her trips to Rivendell Bilbo learned a lot, spoke Sindarin with great fluency, obtained great historical knowledge that before had not even considered learning, was an expert - modesty aside - with the daggers, there was no target that she couldn’t hit with a bow and arrow, and knew how to defend herself well enough with a sword. Besides that she had learned a lot about her other half and with the help of Elrond managed to learn to use her powers, that she was wishing were of help this time. On the other hand Delya became an expert in the use of weapons, her movements were natural and her reflexes were impressive, and in unarmed fights she was unbeaten so far and her knowledge in healing prided her master. Since turning 18 she had become part of the rangers, proving that the hard work of her teachers had not been in vain. Elrond treated her like one of his sons and seeing them and Bilbo together only made her laugh, 'if Thorin falls in love with Bilbo, I'm sure he would not like her relationship with Elrond' Delya thought.


	5. Dwarves

* * *

**NOTE:**

 

> 'Thoughts'
> 
> _Sindarin_
> 
> **_Khuzdul_ **
> 
> **Black Speech**

* * *

 

 

Six months before the quest to Erebor, a cold morning, in which Delya used to wrap herself like a caterpillar in the blankets, Bilbo took away the same ones and opened the curtains letting in the morning light.

"My eyes! You remember that I have sensitivity to light, don’t you?"

"Elrond said it's not so serious, now get up we have to travel to Bree"

"To Bree? Why? It's cold…"

"Delya... I have some business to arrange, remember we'll be leaving in some months, I need to make sure the men's business is still convenient for Drogo" Bilbo was on her way to the door "stop grunting and pack... or do you want me to go alone to Bree?"

"I'm packing"

 

 

The trip to Bree was full of grunts from Delya, it was normal behavior when she was awakened by something other than the smell of food.

 

 

Once in Bree, Bilbo visited each of the men with whom she had business, finding several satisfactory results, although of course everything was not pleasant since one of the merchants with whom she had done business now had disappointed her and when he didn’t have a positive response he became violent. But at times like that is when it is convenient to have a ranger next to you, Delya didn’t take much effort to defeat the man and both left their business without any extra problem.

 

 

 

At night they were both in the tavern.

"Only you go into a tavern to drink tea" Delya said, laughing.

"The owner knows me, so getting a cup of tea is not difficult..." then there was some noise. 

"Damn"

"What happen?"

"You see the guy at the table over there" Bilbo looked in the direction she pointed out and nodded "he's Arfar, a pickpocket, he's looking for someone, he'll make a fuss in the slightest, and then he and his thugs will beat somebody and left them half dead...

"Oh, sweet Yavanna..."

"What's up?" Delya asked turning around, noticing that Arfar was messing with a young dwarf.

"It's Ori. I don’t understand what he's doing here?"

"Maybe he's here with his brothers..."

"But if he is, why is he alone?" Delya shrugged "can you help him?" Delya nodded "without risking?" Delya smiled.

"Do you think that idiot can even touch me? I'll be fine..." Delya got up and stretched as she approached the others, by the time she arrived Arfar's thugs had the poor lad immobilized, Delya sighed and said "good evening, Arfar. Looking for problems as always, eh?"

"But what we have here... it's the Rangers' kiddo... we’ll teach a lesson or two to this miserable thief that took my gold bag..." Ori was shaking.

Delya sighed "listen why you don’t take this bag of gold, you leave the boy in peace and you leave?"

Arfar took the bag of gold "what a generous offer, but what if I want both?" he said in a menacing tone.

"I cannot expect less from trash like you, right?" at that moment the man threw a blow, the same that didn’t find his goal instead the man saw how his wrist was fastened and in seconds his face crashed against one of the tables "who is next?" two others went after her but like their boss both ended up with their forces used against them. At that moment the one holding the young dwarf was on his knees and Delya had one of her daggers right in front of his face "go out of here unless you want to end up like your friends" surprised and not understanding what happened, the men nodded and left "you didn’t have to help me, I had everything under control..."

"I know, I just wanted you to finish soon" said a voice behind Ori, causing him to turn around "good night. I hope those savages did not hurt you..." the young redhead denied.

"Hey, a suggestion" Delya said, throwing a gold bag at Ori "do not approach that kind of idiot..."

"Wait this..."

"It's the one I was planning to give these idiots to go away... besides it's not mine, it was he who asked me to get you out of trouble" the dwarf looked at Bilbo.

"Why?"

"Because something tells me that you aren’t a bad boy and I think your family will be grateful that you return home in one piece... oh, use the money to buy something for your family..."

"I cannot accept it"

"Take it in exchange for this" Bilbo said, taking a blue book.

"Do you want to buy it? But this is too much"

"It's very well done, worth every coin" Bilbo turned and Delya followed, while Ori bowed.

 

 

Once outside the tavern Delya took the book "yes, it is well done but you have a new one at home..."

"This is for you... you always end up making a mess when you look for your drawings in the house..." Delya smiled and they both went to their inn.

 

 

The next morning, Bilbo was buying some things Primula and Drogo had asked for when they saw Ori coming out of a cloth shop with a big smile and accompanied by Nori and Bofur, when they were close they could hear their conversation.

"Where did you get that money?"

"I told you, someone bought one of the books I made..."

"The men didn’t pay like this" Nori said, crossing his arms.

"He wasn’t a man, he was a hobbit..." Ori said, pressing the package he was carrying "a very kind one... and he went with a boy who helped me with the men of the tavern" at that moment the three stopped when they were surrounded by men. Those of the night before.

"Because of you yesterday I had a bad night and you're going to pay me" the man said with a horrible smile.

"I think we can fix this in a more civilized way" Bofur tried to calm things down but a heavy blow to the head send him to the ground. Nori was going to take his weapons when a calm voice was heard.

"Excuse me, but I couldn’t help noticing that you have a problem with my friends" the men turned and several were surprised to see Bilbo.

One of the men stepped forward. And said "I regret this, Master Baggins but these dwarves..." he said with hatred "they robbed us last night and now they are shopping with our money..."

Bilbo looked at the dwarves and when she glanced at Ori, she smiled "as I said they are my friends... I think that's enough for you to leave them alone... and if don’t I think we can fix things in a less vulgar way..."

"Listen, you ferret, I don’t give a shit who you are... but those three are mine..." said Arfar approaching in a threatening way to Bilbo but was stopped by something in his chest, to see to his side he cross glances with Delya and what was in his chest was a dagger.

"One more step and you are a dead man" Bilbo was to one side and as if nothing happened she asked the men to release her friends, approaching Bofur who remained unconscious on the floor.

Bilbo released the air as a sign of relief "he’s okay, just need a little of rest..." were her words when Nori and Ori approached, and with whom she took Bofur not before saying "I don’t want to see that man again..." she took the dwarves to the nearest inn and all that was heard behind them was an 'aye'. Bilbo took them to one of the rooms and with Nori's help they put Bofur on the bed "the room is paid until tomorrow you can stay until then..." she said heading to the door.

"Wait!" Nori said walking towards her "we don’t need your charity..."

"Charity?" Bilbo smiled "I said it before, did not I? You are my friends... I like your brother, he is talent and I wouldn’t want those idiots to ruin that... besides I can see that he is a good person" he said pointing to Bofur "only a recommendation" she showed him a bag of gold and Nori right away checked his belt, surprised to see it was his "stop stealing..." but before she left, Ori stopped her offering her the bag of gold she had given him the night before "I bought a gift for my older brother, I don’t need the rest... it's too much..."

Bilbo looked at him and took two more of the books he had and handed him another bag of gold "that covers all three" but before he could tell something Bilbo had disappeared from the room, leaving the brothers looking at each other.

 

 

...

 

The time passed really fast, by the time they realized it was the day of Gandalf's visit. Bilbo had everything ready, she had made sure to prepare letters for Drogo, Primula, Hamfast and the Thain, the same ones she would send the day she left; she had made sure to prepare enough food for dinner and breakfast, plus the day meals for herself and Delya. Delya also had everything ready but unlike the hobbit she refused to get up, saying that these would be the last days she would sleep in a bed and planned to enjoy it. Bilbo was in her garden, smoking a little with her eyes closed enjoying the breeze and the warm rays of the sun, when she felt a shadow "good morning, Gandalf. What brings you here this morning?"

"I'm looking for someone to share an adventure with..."

"And I can know what this adventure is about."

"You'll know the details tonight, but you'd better prepare to receive a small company of 13 dwarves..."

"13? Why should I accept something like that?"

"Because there's nothing you want more than to get out of this place and I know from your travels to Rivendell that is true. They need your help, could you at least greet them tonight and listen to them?"

Bilbo sighed "I expect them for dinner?" Gandalf smiled and nodded.

"The girl is here?"

"The weather is still a little cold, so Delya refuses to leave her bed..." Gandalf chuckled before saying good-bye and leaving. Bilbo sighed and walked into her house. The day had arrived. The day when she would see her friends, her family; only that this time she would be sure to help them more. The night came and Delya had gone out to practice with her daggers because she couldn’t stand the wait, Bilbo was in the kitchen finishing the last details of the dinner, the last time they took her unawares but this time she was going to make sure these dwarfs tasted the best of her food. When the bell rang a smile appeared on her face and she walked directly to the door, stood in front of it, took a deep breath and opened it.

 

Just as intimidating as the first time in front of her, Dwalin bowed and said "Dwalin at your service"

"Bilbo Baggins, at yours" and as he did the first time he went into her house without being invited "excuse me, Master Dwalin... I would be grateful if you would remove your boots, leave them at the entrance and your weapons please in the hall, I don’t want to risk leaving some scratches on my walls" Dwalin looked at the hobbit and frowned "Oh, and please wash your hands before going to the dining room, the sink is the second door on the right..." Dwalin grunted but did as he was told, if the hobbit came with them, it would be fun to see him facing Thorin, were his thoughts. After washing his hands, Dwalin was surprised to see the feast in the dining room. He takes a seat but before he could touch something of the food a wooden spoon struck his hand "I would appreciate it if you waited until your companions arrived... but of course I don’t plan to have you waiting just like that" said the hobbit placing a plate of cookies in front of him. At that moment the bell rang again "if you'll excuse me..."

Bilbo went to the door, breathing deeply to avoid crying when she saw her best friend, when she was ready she opened the door and "Balin, at your service"

Bilbo smiled and said "Bilbo Baggins, at yours and your family..." Balin smiled and found himself meeting his brother and bumping their heads like the last time, which caused Bilbo to rub her forehead never got used to that sample of sweetie. Bilbo told Balin what she had told Dwalin about his boots, weapons, and hands. When the bell rang, a smile forming on her lips as she saw Fili and Kili in front of her, she had to bite the inside of her mouth to keep from crying

"Fili" "And Kili" "At your service" they said with a reverence.

"Bilbo Baggins to yours and your families... before you enter, I would be grateful if you would take off your boots and leave them with the others, your weapons in the hall and wash your hands, second door on the right..." the brothers were watching to each other but obeyed everything the little hobbit said, they left their boots at the entrance and when they went to lay their weapons on one of the tables, Kili saw a bow and arrows on one of the walls and couldn’t help but to look closely.

"Fee, look. Apparently Master Boggins is not a wimp like we thought"

"Kee, just because he has a bow and arrows does not mean-" but he stopped when he saw the daggers and sword on one of the tables "this is elf-made, but they are light and are well balanced, in the right hands can be lethal..." at that moment a dagger step in front of them, both looked at each other and then in the direction of where the dagger had come, finding a boy at the entrance to the room.

"Anyone taught you that you shouldn’t touch other people's things" the dwarves were staring at the boy when the bell rang again.

Bilbo opened the door and a pile of dwarfs was in front of her "gentlemen, you flatter me but it is not necessary" laughter, grunts and complaints was heard as the dwarves got up, that's when Bilbo realized the situation in the room "is that a dagger on my wall!?" said looking at Fili and Kili, Bilbo breathe deeply "Delya!" the boy's progress towards the back door was stopped by that simple word "come here..." the boy sighed resigned and went to where the hobbit was "what did I say?"

"Don’t throw daggers in the house"

"And what did you do?"

"They were touching my things-" but she stopped "and that's no excuse..."

"What do you say?"

"Imsorry" she said quickly and between her teeth, earning herself a blow on the side "I'm sorry, I shouldn’t have done that."

Bilbo smiled and said "to the newcomers, please leave your boots in the entrance, your weapons in the hall and wash your hands before going to the dining room, second door on the right... and Delya serve some drinks" the dwarves saw the boy clicked his tongue but obeyed. By the time the dwarves reached the dining room they found a great feast, bottles of wine and pints of beer "one of you is missing, is not it? Do you want to wait for him or do you want to eat now?"

"He's going to delay."

"Then let's eat..." they all sat down and began to pour themselves, releasing more of a groan of happiness as they tasted food or drink, while Bilbo watched them from a bench beside the entrance to the dining room and Delya was standing next to her "why did you act like that?" Bilbo whispered.

"I get annoyed as they saw my weapons, they looked at them with contempt and they were a gift"

"I told you to do something with that temperament of yours" Delya clicked her tongue.

"They seem to have fun..." Bilbo watched the food fly from side to side and she couldn’t help but smile.

"Master Baggins" they both turned around and met Ori "and Master Delya I wanted to thank you for what happened in Bree" Delya smiled.

"No problem, I could not let a teddy bear be hurt..."

Bilbo sighed when Ori blushed "I'm sorry. Delya has the habit to put nicknames to things that seem tender to her..."

"Me? Tender?"

Delya nodded "but you're not the only one" she point in the direction of Fili and Kili "the little lion and the baby hawk look kind of sweet to me, too" Ori couldn't help smiling at the nicknames of his friends. At that moment Dori and Nori approached them.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" Bilbo asked.

Dori bowed and said "my brothers told me what you two do for them in their stay in Bree a few months ago..."

"You don’t have to do that, my child and I help them with pleasure" Dori stared at Bilbo and Delya several times before nodding.

"Even so you saved my younger brothers" he said "that means we owe you..."

"And they're not the only ones" Bofur said, coming up with his brother and cousin "you also helped me, my family and I are indebted to you..."

"Seriously, that's not necessary"

Delya looked at the dwarves and said "I think you're not going to get out of this easy _Naneth"_

"With your thanks is enough" the dwarves looked at each other and offered a bow.

 

When they returned to the table, the others asked about what they were doing before and they told them. When they were finished Ori came back to them asking what he should do with his plate, Bilbo sighed knowing that was going to happen. In a second she was at the door to her dining room and in the other she saw her dishes fly from one side to the other while the dwarves sang 'what Bilbo Baggins most hates'. When they were done Delya's naughty smile was bigger and all her dishes were clean "nor in your dreams will I let you do that" said Bilbo winning a snap of her child.

 

At that moment three loud blows were heard at the door and Bilbo felt her heart begin to beat harder. She walked to the door and paused in the hall, taking a deep breath. Gandalf opened the door and the time seemed to slow down, the only thing Bilbo could think of at that moment was how attractive Thorin looked like the first time she saw him, just like the last time she saw him.

"Gandalf, you said the house was easy to find. I lost my way twice, I would not have found the place other than by the mark on the door."

"Mark?" Bilbo looked at Gandalf. And using that to distract her from Thorin.

"I put it this morning" said the wizard.

"You know how many scoldings I had to hear while I was painting that door" Delya said, meeting Thorin and looking at Bilbo who was breathing deeply, clearly trying to calm down.

"Calm down Delya. Now, Bilbo Baggins let me introduce you to the leader of this company, Thorin Oakenshield."

"So this is the hobbit" ‘so you have to open your mouth’ though Bilbo. While Thorin saw her with superiority, which annoyed Delya. Thorin began to surround Bilbo "Master Baggins, you have experience in combat?" Bilbo did not answer "ax or sword? What weapon do you prefer?"

"I don’t understand the reason for your question"

"As I thought, he looks more like a grocer than a thief" some laughed.

"Grocer? Thief?" Delya said approaching, catching the attention of more than one but stopped at once when she sees Bilbo's hand.

"With all the respect, Master Oak I do not know what... you are in my house, where your companions were received and cared for as best I could do without disrespecting them, even when they emptied my pantry, without even saying thank you... so I think I do not deserve the treatment I'm receiving from... unless you have been raised that way... and I'll ask you to like your companions to leave your boots in the entrance, your weapons in the hall and wash your hands, second door on the right... and if you have any inconvenience you can tell my child, because I already had more than enough of dwarves for one night" she said before disappearing through one of the doors. Gandalf followed Bilbo but not before giving Thorin a disapproving look.

Delya was with her eyes fixed on him "grocer? It was the best thing that came to your mind" Thorin looked at him "I must admit that you have an intimidating look but you insulted my _Naneth_..."

"Delya" Bilbo's voice was heard before a door closed.

Delya grunted "the dinner will be served soon master dwarf. The food will be waiting for you so please do as Bilbo said" when Thorin came to the dining room, everyone was seated, the headboard seat was free as well as the one on the left side, a pint of beer, a plate of stew, and some scones waiting for him. He had to use all his strength to avoid letting out a sound of pleasure, the food was delicious. Thanks to Balin he was distracted from the food. At that moment Gandalf returned accompanied by the hobbit who remained in the entrance of the dining room. Only approaching when Gandalf showed them the map of the Lonely Mountain and the dwarves mentioned Smaug, waiting for some sample of fear in the halfling, but surprised to see no changes in him. When Gandalf gave them the key, the other dwarves began to argue being quiet by Thorin — there is an entrance to the lower halls, but the magical gates of the dwarves are invisible... I kwon that the answer is here but I haven’t found it, although there are others who can...

Bilbo approached and smiling said "you cannot find answers unless you know where and how to look... you see this" said pointing to one of the corners of the map "the map has lunar runes" Gandalf was surprised and looked at Bilbo for questioning "so many studies are not for nothing..."

"Can you read them?"

"The runes?" Thorin nodded "you insult me first and now you want my help? How quickly you change your mood..." Thorin frowned "I'm sorry, but I cannot... the moon runes must be read under the same moon under which they were written, besides you need a special device... and can you tell me what you plan to do, if you go into the mountain?"

"The plan is to recover the Arkenstone, with it Thorin can call the armies of other dwarf houses and fight the dragon..."

"First, let me tell you that it is stupid to swear allegiance to a rock and second you’ll need an expert burglar for that job-"

"And you're one?" asked Gloin.

"Am I what? Burglar? No, I've never stolen anything... but if you refer to sneaking out, I have vast experience in that..."

"Don’t be offended, Master Baggins, but I doubt that you are material for a burglar" Balin said.

"I don’t think so" Nori said and everyone set their looks on him "he managed to take one of my bags of gold without me noticing and the boy who walks with him is skilled in battle..."

Gandalf smiled "If I said that Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, it's because he is. He has much more to offer than you can imagine and he showed it by finding the lunar runes on the map..."

Thorin looked at the wizard and then at Balin "the contract" the white-bearded dwarf handed it to Bilbo and she began to read it. She didn’t care about anything written there, while she and Delya could accompany them. Delya. Bilbo stopped reading and looked around.

"Bilbo, is something wrong?" ask Gandalf.

"Have you seen Delya?" Gandalf nodded.

But Bofur answer "I saw him heading for the kitchen" Bilbo continued reading as she headed for the kitchen. Not finding Delya there, she left the contract on the kitchen table and went out to her patio to meet her.

"What are you doing? I'm about to sign a contract to enter to the nest of a dragon and you're throwing knives here at a tree?" then she saw something that bothered her "it hurts you?"

"No, it bothers a little. But thanks to you I am well" the cuts of the wrists had already appeared, three of them. Which means that only one is missing. The first time Bilbo was scared to see two horizontal cuts appear out of nowhere on Delya's wrists when she turned 16. The next one was only 18 days ago, that was worse, a vertical cut on her right wrist, it was noticeable that it hurt and Bilbo didn’t know what to do except to stop the bleeding, washing, healing and bandaging the wound. Thanks to what she had learned in Rivendell, she had managed to get the wound healed in only a week, but to know that in six months would be another worried her. What if they didn’t have bandages or medicinal herbs, and if they were under attack when it happened

"I'll be fine... you signed?"

"No, I have to make sure they’ll let me take you with me"

"Tell them I did not take up much space..." she said with a smile. After a few minutes both entered. Bilbo approached Balin and told him that she had no problem signing, but that Delya would accompany her. The company seemed to hesitate but Thorin accepted, informing the wizard that he didn’t promise the safety of any of them and less their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Naneth - mother


	6. Journey - First Part

* * *

**NOTE:**

 

> 'Thoughts'
> 
> _Sindarin_
> 
> **_Khuzdul_ **
> 
> **Black Speech**

* * *

 

 

Bilbo and Delya were in Bilbo’s room, leaving Delya's room to the dwarves, when they heard the song. Bilbo sang it too, that song was the one that had convinced her the first time, the one that had made her liked something besides the appearance of Thorin.

When the song ends. Delya lay down embracing Bilbo, she was in her true form, Bilbo had the ability to take the hobbit form and using a little magic changed her form to a masculine hobbit reason why she had never used her other powers, her true form was Feminine, much more delicate, had long hair, perfect curves and her feet were smaller, her wings were another matter she had never used them so almost never showed them.

As Bilbo stroked Delya’s hair and kept humming the song the dwarves had sung Delya asked "what was that?"

"What do you mean?"

"The thing you tell to Oakenshield?"

"It used to be Thorin, and now it's Oakenshield?"

"Now I know that he is annoying when he talk..."

Bilbo could not help chuckled "what I told him is what I always wanted to tell him... although I couldn’t say everything I really wanted to say, because seeing him again was a lot stronger than I thought it would be..."

"You'll be fine?"

Bilbo smiled and nodded "I've been waiting for this trip for more time that I remenber, of course I'll be fine..." Delya smiled and hugged Bilbo harder.

 

 

 

The next morning, Bilbo got up early to deliver the letters to the first postman. After that she took the ingredients for the breakfast she had hidden and also the food for the trip, while preparing the breakfast more than a dwarf peered through the kitchen door waiting to enter, when Delya wrapped in blankets walked in and sat down on one of the chairs. In seconds in front of her was a steaming cup, some scones, a couple of boiled eggs, bacon, ham, and lots of fruit. It was remarkable that she was half asleep.

"What are you doing standing there? Help me bring all this to the dining room..." the dwarves passed from the kitchen to the dining room and within minutes they had a banquet. The other dwarves were surprised to see how much food the hobbit had prepared to carry on the trip, all suited for it.

They were also surprised to see the boy with a sword, a bow, and from what Fili and Kili had said, he also used daggers, although his sleepy gaze wasn’t of a warrior, the look he had shown them last night showed that he hid something under that lazy appearance.

 

 

 

Coming out of Hobbiton, the lad was dozing on his mount, while the hobbit didn’t seem to care, more than one of the dwarves watched them wondering if that pair really could stand the trip.

On the way to Bree, Bofur was the closest to Bilbo and Delya "there is a question that I have wanted to ask you since we met..." said Bofur drawing their attention. They both nodded, waiting for the question "what relationship do you two have?" more than one dwarf had slowed down to hear the answer.

"I am Bilbo's child" Delya said and with a grin said "I am the result of an affair he had with a beautiful half-elf" at that moment Bilbo's face flushed red and the dwarves couldn’t help but gawk. Delya laugh to the point of falling of her horse.

"You deserve it" said Bilbo, passing by.

"A good joke, lad" said Bofur, stopping to wait for him.

"It is up to you to believe me or not... but you will never understand our relationship..." Bofur look at him as well as some of the company "although I can say that I have benefited to be the child of Bilbo Baggins Took..."

"Why?"

Delya smiled "Bilbo is the head of the Baggins family besides being the son of the older daughter and favorite of the previous Thain and, nephew and adviser of the actual one... he was the coveted bachelor so winning the child of the bachelor is the first step to have an appointment with him... you would have seen the amount of food, candy and toys that I received from the families that wanted Bilbo as his son..."

Fili was thinking for a while and then said "wait the Thain is like the king of the hobbits, right?" Delya nodded "does that mean that Bilbo is a prince?"

"You can put it like that... since his mother was Thain's daughter and his father was one of Hobbiton's most powerful hobbits... besides, if Bilbo's mother had been a man she would have been the Thain..."

"Enough! The hobbits do not have a king and therefore do not have princes..." said with a frown "Delya" the mentioned nodded "near here grow several medicinal plants, go to bring some" Delya growled but obeyed. Bilbo seeing the restlessness in the face of the dwarves said "Delya knows how to track, will reach us when we have camped..."

 

As Bilbo said, Delya arrived half an hour after they had encamped with a bag of herbs, all separated in small pieces of cloth. Bilbo was in the farthest place of the camp, but when Delya saw him he went straight to him and used his lap as a pillow "you have leaves in your hair... it's longer" Bilbo said taking out the leaves of it.

"Mhm... It's bothering me"

"Don’t do anything to it... let's get to a safe place or something..." Delya nodded.

"Tired?" said Bofur sitting next to them.

"Delya is like this after a punishment..."

"Then that was a punishment?" Bilbo nodded "about the joke of your love affair?" Bilbo blushed and nodded "tell me Master Baggins, what is the truth behind what Delya said? Who is the lad's mother?"

"Bilbo, just call me Bilbo..."

"Only if you call me Bofur" Bilbo nodded.

"Delya has the habit of behaving like a small child and has suffered a lot since an early age... I don’t think it matters who is the mother, what matters is that as long as I stay alive this child will have a place to return..." Bofur smiled "what about you? Someone in the company has children?"

"My brother, Bombur, has three beautiful girls and a little pampering... Gloin also has a son... outside of them neither is engagement or anything" but before he could continue, Gloin sat down next to them and showing Bilbo the drawings of his wife and son began to talk about them, and Bilbo was pleased to listen.

 

 

 

The next times they camped Ori was the one who came to ask questions about the hobbits and the shire "tell me Master Bilbo..." everyone call him Bilbo except from Ori "how old are you two?"

"I'm 40 and Delya is 20..." Ori nodded, writing, but before he could ask him the next question.

"You're just a kid and Delya's a baby!"

"Gentlemen, please... Delya is a human and I a hobbit... the hobbits age at the same speed as the human, well perhaps a little slower since we fulfill the majority of age at 33 while the human at 18..."

While they argued, a great squeal sounded, causing Ori jump a little "what was that?"

Fili and Kili didn’t miss the opportunity to scare him "orcs... they attack at dawn while everyone sleeps, fast and without screams... only blood and death..." seeing Ori's worried face, the brothers laughed. What prompted Thorin to scold them and Balin told them the story of the battle of Azanulbizar.

 

 

 

During the following days the rain was their companion, causing Dori to make a request to Gandalf to stop the rain.

"It is raining mister dwarf and It will continue to rain until it stops raining... if you want to change the climate of the world you will have to find another wizard..."

"There are others?"

"What?"

"Other wizards?"

"We are five. The most important one is Saruman the white..."

"The traitor..." Delya said between teeth, earning a scolding of Bilbo.

Fortunately Gandalf didn’t listen and followed "are also the two blue wizards..."

"They were..." — Delya whispered.

Bilbo gazed her and asked "and who is the fifth?"

"Radagast the brown..."

Delya smiled because she knows what was coming, Bilbo also smiled "is he a great wizard or is more like you..?" Gandalf growled and Delya could not help laughing.

"It’s a Great wizard in a certain way..." Gandalf said.

Delya smiled "Radagast likes the company of animals and that is why he is a bit weird..."

"You know him?" Kili said.

"When I was younger... when I was traveling with Gandalf..."

 

 

 

A few days later they came to the ruined farm and Bilbo began to have shivers just to remember her time there. While Gandalf was arguing with Thorin just to get a negative response from him.

"Gandalf, where are you going?"

"To seek the company of the only person who has common sense"

"And who is it?"

"Me Master Baggins... I had enough of the dwarves for a day..."

"And we are left without a wizard..." Thorin growled and began to give orders "can I leave too? I don’t think I'll endure to Mr. grumpy..." Delya said and shifting to Sindarin whisper " _I'll go find the trolls and see if I can avoid everything tonight_..."

 _"It's too dangerous"_  Bilbo replied.

" _I'll just go take a look I'll be fine..."_

"Where do you think you're going?" Bilbo said, raising her voice.

"I am of age, a ranger, and we aren’t in the Bag End, I can come and go... I'll go and see if I find Gandalf... have fun with Mr. grumpy" he said before leaving, causing the hobbit to rise his arms in the air, and he spoke between her teeth. The dwarves were surprised, it was the first time they saw the lad disobey Bilbo.

On the other hand, Bilbo prayed to Yavanna to take care of her.

 

 

 

Late in the evening, Bombur began to serve the food, Bilbo had helped to prepare it but just now, instead of helping to serve, he walked from one side to the other, looking in the direction Gandalf and Delya had left.

"Bilbo calm down... the boy is a ranger, isn’t he? That means he knows how to defending himself" 'but no training prepares you to fight three trolls' was what Bilbo thought "instead of worrying about him why you don’t take this to Fili and Kili" Bilbo sighed and brought the food.

Finding out with Fili and Kili playing "aren’t you supposed to be looking after the ponies?"

"Calm down, Bilbo we have everything under- control..." said Fili leaning in and realizing that two ponies were missing.

"What's the matter?"

"We're missing two ponies"

"You didn’t have everything under control?" Bilbo could hear clearly as the brothers swallowed deeply "look here is a gigantic trace..." the three followed him finding two trolls and one of them was carrying two other ponies.

"And now what?" said Kili.

Bilbo was going to tell them something but stopped when she sees Delya near the ponies "Delya" said in a muffled whisper and the brothers looked in the same direction as the hobbit. Realizing that the lad was close to the ponies, they altered a little to see him but he managed to reassure them, using one of his daggers release them and take them with the greatest secrecy possible.

"Solved our problem" Bilbo smiled at what Kili said but Bilbo stopped and remembered that they were three trolls, not two.

Then Bilbo turned around and saw that the missing troll returned and could hear their conversation "dwarfs... there is a camp near here..." what are we waiting for…" they said and the three got up.

Fili and Kili cursed and they and Bilbo went to warn the others. The three came agitated "what are you doing here? Who's watching the ponies?"

"Trolls!" Kili shouted, but before anyone could say or do anything else the three trolls appeared out of nowhere, the dwarves barely had time to take their weapons. Being in vain when one of the trolls caught Ori. And that's how the dwarves ended up in sacks and others to the fire in a troll camp. Bilbo didn’t know whether to laugh or cry about their bad luck. But then Bilbo hear the conversation that gave her the idea the first time, but this time she would only draw their attention because the plan was different.

Bilbo got off of the stack of dwarves and said "excuse me... excuse me... excuse me!" the trolls turned around "thank you, I was trying to tell you that you are making a terrible mistake..."

"You cannot reason with them, because they are half-wits..." said Dori.

And Bofur outraged said "half-wits? And what are we?"

Bilbo jumped up to get closer to them "I was saying that if you continue with this... you are going to suffer a horrible punishment..."

"Punishment?" one of the trolls come near to Bilbo "and what punishment is that?" at that moment an arrow stuck directly into one of his eyes, causing the troll to scream and at that moment another arrow struck in his other eye.

"Tom!" said one of the trolls approaching his brother to help him. While the other came dangerously close to Bilbo "you little ferret what you did to my brother..." but before he could put a hand on the hobbit suffered a similar fate, only that the arrows were faster this time.

While the trolls complained and fell luckily not on the dwarves Delya appeared from the trees, approaching Bilbo and releasing her "release the others..." Bilbo nodded. While Delya tried to divert the attention of the remaining troll from the dwarves "hey! You big oaf, this way!" the troll turned around, managing to keep Delya's arrow from hurting him "bad idea... bad idea... very bad idea" she told herself, dodging the best she could to the troll, while Bilbo released the dwarves.

Bilbo released Gloin and Kili, when he turned around and saw the troll beating Delya throwing her against a rock, at which point Gandalf appeared saying his great phrase "the dawn will take you all!" and breaking the rock for the rays of sunlight to turn the trolls to stone.

Bilbo ran to Delya "Delya…" Bilbo said as she approached, not touching her in case she had something broken or worse, but the tears struggled to sprout when she saw the blood "oh sweet Yavanna, that's blood..."

 

 

The dwarves were dressing, none had seen what happened to Delya and it was Kili who realized it, when looking for them to congratulate Delya for the excellent shots "Oin!" shouted the young black haired, warning the other dwarves who approached. Bilbo had Delya lying on the floor, checking for nothing broken.

"Let me help you, lad" Oin said, kneeling beside Delya.

"There doesn’t seem to be anything broken... it has a blow to the head but it doesn’t seem to be serious" Bilbo said. The voice a little broken, Oin nodded, so they proceeded to wake her up "Delya... Delya wakes... Delya I still have your favorite cookies" Delya's eyes began to open "good morning, sleepy beauty..." Bilbo received her with a smile.

"It hurts" the lad said in a choked voice.

"I know... I'll do something, but now I need you to answer all of Oin's questions" Bilbo said in a calmer voice, and Delya nodded.

 

Bilbo went as far as she could while Oin checked that the blow to the head wasn’t serious and Thorin followed.

"Master Baggins, allow me to congratulate you. You have a brave lad-" but the rest of things he was going to say were left in the air the moment he saw the hobbit cry.

Bilbo smiled and said "thanks... Delya is a great child although a bit irresponsible and risky as you will have seen..." Thorin felt his chest clench when he saw the tears but he kept saying nothing and left the hobbit alone.

 

The others laughed relieved to see the lad awake and get up though with help. Bilbo approached and helped her.

As happened the first time some of the company returned to their camp to collect their things while the others inspected the cave of the trolls.

"Are you ok?" Delya smiled and nodded.

"I'm fine just hurt the bruises that surely are there..." Delya raised her hand and wiped one of Bilbo's tears "I'm fine... don’t cry please" at that moment Delya's hand stopped.

"What happens? Does it hurt you?" Delya denied.

"For the first time in ten years, I remembered my parents..." Bilbo asked her "my last words..."

"Don’t say that..."

"I'm not saying that for that purpose... It’s just that I told you the last thing I said to my mother..."

"The poor thing must have cried a lot" Delya shrugged.

"Now I don’t exist for her, so…"

 

When Gandalf came out of the cave and gave the ‘Letter Opener' to Bilbo, Delya was already standing although her face showed no pain, Bilbo knew her and knows that every step she gives hurts her. Then they heard something close, everyone wielded their weapons but surprised to see Radagast, shouting and saying things random. He and Gandalf went to talk to each other.

"I told you he was weird..." Delya said taking her bag the same one that was torn from her hands by Fili "what are you doing?"

"You're hurt, which means you cannot load nothing heavy..." said with a smile the blond.

"I assure you little lion that I am more than able to carry my own-" at that moment Delya stopped suddenly, behind her was Radagast touching her with his staff.

 _"Hello Galadiel_..." Delya couldn’t respond " _you should be more careful"_  when Radagast stopped touching her, Delya fell on her knees and more than a dwarf stood on guard.

"Calm down" Bilbo said "I appreciate the help but not the way..."

 _"It's the second time I've seen you and I feel I've missed you all my life_... _Galadris"_  Bilbo smiled.

While Delya stretched "it no longer hurts me, but that does not mean that I like how you do things "at that moment there was a great howl.

Gandalf asked Thorin, whom he had told to have orcs following them but didn’t obtain anything, except that Radagast offered to help them. As they ran in the prairie, Kili and Delya took charge of knocking down orcs from afar, while Gandalf guided them. A place that wasn’t of Thorin’s liking.


	7. Rivendell

* * *

**NOTE:**

 

> 'Thoughts'
> 
> _Sindarin_
> 
> **_Khuzdul_ **
> 
> **Black Speech**

* * *

 

When they arrived at Rivendell they were greeted by an elf " _Mithrandir_..."

"I need to talk to Lord Elrond."

"My lord isn’t here" he said, looking at the dwarves with contempt. But at that moment a trumpet sounded and a cavalry of elves arrived, surrounding the dwarves.

"Gandalf" said an elf with black hair.

_"My friend. Where have you been?"_

_"Hunting a pack of orcs_... it's strange that they came so close to the limits..."

"They probably came after us" Gandalf said, pointing to the company.

"Welcome Thorin, son of Thrain. You look a lot like your grandfather, whom I met before that regrettable event..."

"He never mention it..."

Elrond looked at him and then said " _I invite you to enjoy a well and deserved break and food..."_

Gloin exalted himself and asked if he had insulted them but it was Bilbo who corrected him saying that he had invited them to eat. Elrond smiled warmly at the sight " _Galadris... delights me with your presence once more"_  said crouching on one knee while Bilbo came up to him offering him a bow " _our daughter is with you I suppose_..."

 _"Do you think she would have let me out of Bag End without her?_ " Elrond smiled, got up and walked beside Bilbo leading the dwarves to a large room where there was a large table full of food.

 

"I should worry about not seeing Delya next to you..." Elrond said, motioning for them to sit down.

Bilbo smiled from his seat "you know her, don’t you?"

"That means I have to worry... I just hope that she doesn’t cross ways with the twins..." Elrond, Gandalf and Thorin sat down at a separate table, where Elrond saw the swords they had found telling them their names and their stories.

The dwarves tired of the soft tunes of the elves began to sing and throw food when they heard a big explosion, more than one alarmed but Elrond called to calm "calm down, those can only be my children..." at that time an elf filled with a strange substance entered the room.

"My lord. Your children destroyed the main kitchen of the east wing."

Elrond sighed "bring them to me" the elf bowed and retired after a few minutes guards entered, saluted and left leaving behind two identical elves, both of them filled with the strange substance. Elrond sighed "what did you done now?"

"Nothing very serious" said one of the twins "it's not like Nolorn said... we didn’t destroy the kitchen..." said the other "just... it's just a little dirty..." finish the first.

Elrond sighed and said "gentlemen allow me to introduce my children Elladan and Elrohir" those mentioned showed an exaggerated bow and a big smile when they saw Bilbo.

 _"Galadris"_  they said in unison, walking in Bilbo’s direction.

"If you dare to go one step further, the two of you will never be able to approach to me again" they both stopped suddenly "tell me that Delya isn’t involved in this..." the twins smiled and at that moment two guards entered carrying Delya who was bathed in the substance.

"Just to clarify I was in the kitchen stealing cookies when all this happened..." Elrond apologized forcing the twins and Delya to follow him.

When they retired the dwarves looked at the hobbit "what is your relationship with the elf, Bilbo?"

Bilbo sigh "Elrond has taken care of Delya during these 10 years, has taught Delya many things, besides that he was my mother's friend and he is my friend..." at that moment Elrond entered the room.

 _"Galadris, you would hate that your friends find out that Delya is a woman_  Bilbo denied, and Elrond nodded, retreating once more.

"What did he say?" asked Fili.

"It seems that during dinner tonight you will know a secret from Delya..."

 

 

After that, two elves entered and took them to a large room. Bilbo said goodbye informing them that he had his own room so that there were no problems and that if they had any questions he had no problem answering them after dinner.

The room where they were had connection to a large bathroom which they didn’t hesitate to use and half destroy with their games.

 

 

When the elf informed them of dinner, he had to use all his strength to avoid screaming in horror at seeing the state of the room.

When the dwarves reached the dining room, Bilbo and Elrond were already there. Thorin was surprised to see Bilbo dressed in a suit that mixed both the Elvish and hobbit style, he was clean his hair shone and his skin was as pink as when they met. His smile was wide and warm as he spoke to Elrond.

"Welcome" said Elrond.

"What is so funny? If it can be known?" Thorin said without understanding why he was so upset.

"Elrond was telling to me about the punishments of the twins and Delya... the twins have to clean up the mess they left in the kitchen and Delya has to reveal a little secret to you tonight..."

"What is the relation with the young Delya?" asked Dori.

"Delya was the one who taught to the twins to prepare that solution..." said Elrond "oh, she is here" the dwarves turned, surprised when they see her. Delya had her hair down, clean and hairstyle, she was wearing a delicate dress and walked delicately. It was someone totally different from the person they had been traveling with.

"Come sit with us" said Elrond.

But Delya bowed again, saying, "I must apologize my lord, but I haven’t had a proper rest for two days, and I want to retire to my quarters if you allows it" Elrond nodded and Delya withdrew.

 

 

After she retired the dwarfs began to ask. Bilbo explained that Delya hates wearing dresses, skirts and talking politely but as punishment she would have to do it, revealing that she is actually a woman.

"But you said she was a boy-"

"Actually..." Bilbo said as he stopped Gloin "I always referred to her by her name or my child... I never said whether it was male or female..." after discussing a little more, clarifying some things. Bilbo told Elrond about the map, gaining more of a disapproving look from the company "oh, don’t look at me like that… he can help us"

"If it is in my power I will gladly help you..." Elrond said. After some scolding from Gandalf, Thorin accepted "Erebor? what is your interest in this map?"

"Academic" said Bilbo "the map has a message written in lunar runes... and we would like to know what it says..."

"Follow me" he took them to a secret 'room' directly under the waterfalls, put the map on a glass table and said "the moon you need will be in the sky in two days, you are free to stay until you can read them if you wish..."

"Thank you" Thorin said and all returned to their rooms.

Thorin informed the others that they should stay for a couple of days and inadvertently hear the claims of others he left the room to walk a little finishing in one of the gardens, he had to admit that the sight wasn’t bad for be the home of some elves. He sat down to rest under a tree, and he saw her, a woman a little shorter than him with golden hair, with a perfect body, with a delicate appearance and even more in the dress she wore. He couldn’t see her face but he could feel that heat in his chest, his heart beat with great force, it was the same thing he felt when he saw the hobbit. He got up to follow that woman but she was gone.

 

On the other hand Bilbo was hiding, had taken advantage of the night to take her true form and go for a walk, she never thought to meet any of the dwarves in the gardens and less to Thorin.

 

Thorin was back in his room when he found no trace of that woman, that night for the first time he had something different from his usual nightmares

 

 

<< Dream >>

Thorin was in Erebor, in his old home, the same one full of his people, all carrying their lives as it should always have been. The next thing he saw was to be in the king's room sitting on his bed and next to him, there was someone removing the sheets he could see the golden hair that he saw in Rivendell's gardens, she was talking to him but he couldn’t hear or see her face. The next picture was of him carrying a small baby and the woman from before smiling from the bed, Balin, Oin and Dis congratulating him for being a father.

<< Dream - End >>

 

 

It was then when the cries of Fili and Kili awoke him, for the first time he was upset that they wake him up so he couldn’t help but scold his nephews who were fighting in bed next to him. When they went to the dining room to have breakfast, he couldn’t help but feel like asking Elrond about the woman who he had seen the Last night but he avoid it.

Kili smiled to see Bilbo "Bilbo! Can we see Delya wear a dress today? I know that more than one likes it..."

Bilbo smiled "Delya is in the training arena unloading her anger with everyone she finds, if you want after breakfast I can take you there..." Kili nodded energetically but could notice the interest in more than one.

 

 

When they finished breakfast, the dwarves followed the hobbit into the arena, finding an image they never imagined. Delya was in the middle of the arena, in front of her were three rangers; to the horror of the dwarfs the girl's hair had been cut really short, the clothes she wore clearly showed her abdomen for the first time they see her clearly feminine figure, her arms covered by protectors, she wore leggins where she had several daggers, and in each hand she had a sword.

"And you're supposed to be the best?" said in a growl Delya "don’t make me laugh..."

Bilbo gestured them to sit down, to the surprise of the hobbit the whole company was there, although it wasn’t strange considering they didn’t have much to do. They could see one of the fights, one of the rangers attacked without warning but in seconds he was on the floor, the second was knocked out with a kick that almost nobody saw coming and the third ended disarmed

"Now that I think we hadn’t had the opportunity to see her fight... she is good"

"That's not Delya... it's just her anger..." Bilbo said "Delya always tries to hurt her opponent as little as possible... but when she's upset she's just the opposite, she seeks to hurt her opponent so much physically as well as mentally..." the dwarves looked at the girl again, noting that there was no smile on her face, and her fiery eyes had no brightness.

"Is she annoyed to wear a dress?"

"Yes and no... she's upset because you found out she's a girl and she says that you're going to leave her here..." the dwarves saw how she got rid of their weapons.

"What is she doing?" Ori asked.

"Delya is an expert in unarmed combat... want to try?" Kili smiled and entered the arena without his weapons, Delya looked at him and sighed. Kili attacked her but Delya disappeared from his field of vision and in seconds Kili was facing the floor. He tried again but the result was similar, Nori also tried and although harder than Kili was also defeated, Dwalin was more difficult despite his size he was fast, had good reflexes and years of experience, but would have been for the words of Nori would have won.

"You!" Dwalin said rising from the sand and going to give a lesson to Nori. Delya had to bite the inside of her mouth to keep from laughing as she approached the company.

"What happened to your hair?" were the first words that were heard. They all looked at Thorin.

"It was a trouble" the dwarves looked at her in horror.

"If that was the problem, your hair could be braided you didn’t need to cut it..."

"It matters?"

"It matters if you're going to be a member of this company, I hope you don’t cut your hair while you're with us" Thorin left, while the others smiled including Delya.

 

 

 

That night Thorin again go to the gardens hoping to see that woman but didn’t get results and being lost in thought he ended up in the training arena, when he was leaving he saw Delya. Delya's hands and right arm were bandaged, she looked agitated, when he look a little more he realized that the woman from the previous night was there dodging each one of the Delya's blows with great ease, but due to position where Thorin was he couldn’t see her face but he can listen their conversation.

"Stop playing and fight... — Delya said with a fierce breath "come on Mom, it's not fun..." there was a slight laugh, it was delicate.

 

"So she knows how to fight... Mom? Delya's mother?... but Bilbo said..."

"Can I help you, master dwarf?" Thorin turned, finding an elf in the hall. Thorin denied, the elf approached and saw Delya in the sand "the lass is talented in the unarmed fights but her mother has incredible reflexes... until now the lass has not managed to make her fight seriously..." elf smiled "you should return to your room is already quite late and these two will take a little longer" Thorin nodded and the elf withdrew.

 

 

The next day Delya returned to be the same as always, even took Fili, Kili and Ori to show them Rivendell, although Bilbo's worried face when he found out made the others to worry "I don’t think they'll cause any trouble..." Bilbo said with a nervous smile. But everyone knew that sooner or later the news would come.

 

At lunchtime one of the guards went to report to Lord Elrond that all the rangers' clothing in training had disappeared and been found in the closed infirmary.

"What's in that infirmary?" Bofur asked.

"Delya created a substance that left the whole place with an unbearable smell, it has been a year and they still cannot use it..." of course the guilty had been the twins with the help of Fili, Kili, Ori? and Delya, who disappeared for the rest of the day to avoid punishment.

 

At night Elrond read the runes on the map, giving the company a time limit, they packaged and search a opportunity for leave.


	8. Journey - Second Part

* * *

**NOTE:**

 

> 'Thoughts'
> 
> _Sindarin_
> 
> **_Khuzdul_ **
> 
> **Black Speech**

* * *

 

Bilbo was annoyed, she didn’t want to have to go through all that again, she didn’t want to meet Smeagol or the orcs, but it was inevitable, just like to see the battle of the rock giants again. The fear she felt was even greater this time by the idea that Delya couldn’t get away with it, but those thoughts faded when she saw the girl's emotion as she saw the stone giants fight.

 

As the first time, they all managed to get out of it alive, Bilbo couldn’t help feeling uncomfortable when they entered the cave which caused Delya not to separate from her side, they could see the worry in her face so Bofur came to talk with them.

"Your relationship with Lord Elrond is really good, isn’t it?" said the dwarf.

Bilbo nodded "he has helped me and taught me a lot... he is my best friend... and someone I trust... plus he has taken care of Delya"

Bofur continued with the conversation "you are very close to his children... any relationship with any of them?" Bofur looked at Delya.

Delya laughed "no... would you have a relationship with your brothers?"

"Brothers? Wait-"

Thorin was awake listening to everything and he remembered the woman of Rivendell whom Delya had called mother but before his thoughts followed he notice the shine of his sword at the same time Bofur asked Bilbo by his, Thorin wake shouting so that all they woke up but everything happened too fast, one moment they were falling and the next they were surrounded by goblins and being dragged by them.

Like the first time the company was dragged by the goblins while Bilbo stayed behind and was attacked by a straggler falling from the bridge direct to where the ring was, only this time she knew how to get out and didn’t have to deal with Smeagol, waiting that the poor would be wandering in those caverns until the last of his days.

 

On the other hand Delya wasn’t having a good time because besides of being dragged by a group of goblins she had to walk crouched and covering her face. While they were pushed they heard a nasty song, when the same ended they were in front of a disgusting giant goblin who seeing them said "sticky, no? Is one of my compositions"

"It's not a song, it's an abomination!" Balin said, causing the goblins to roar.

"Abominations, mutations, deformations are all you will find here" said the goblin king "who are you and why do you come armed to my kingdom? Are you spies? Thieves? Assassins?"

"Dwarves, your malevolence" said one of the goblins.

"Dwarves!? Don’t just stand there! Check them out!"

The goblins did it taking away all their weapons "they are allied with the elves" said one of the goblins, when he found many silver things in a bag.

"Done in Rivendell" said the leading goblin.

All the dwarves turned to see Nori who shrugged and said "they were just memories..."

"Tell me what are you doing here!?"

Bofur took a step forward "a long journey we've had but we're just passing through, on the way to the Iron Hills to..."

"Visiting distant relatives" Dori said.

"Liar! But it's okay, if you don’t want to talk... we'll make you scream! Bring the broken bones! And start with the youngest..." said the giant goblin pointing at Ori.

"St-" but what Thorin was going to say was quiet by a hand in his mouth and someone whispering in his ear.

"Whatever happens don’t show up and just concentrate on getting out of here" Delya was next to him, standing up and emerging from the center of the group of dwarves shouting "Hey, you ball of filthy fat!" the goblin turned looking at her surprised just like everyone else "you remember me?" she said, removing her hood.

"The hunter!" he said taking several steps back "catch him! Chain him! And bring him before me!" the goblins began to gather to beat the girl but Delya beat them throwing them by the sides of the bridge, while the company fought to free themself, something difficult without their weapons, they stopped when the shaped knives of the goblins were in front of them.

The goblins had Delya and the goblin king smiled "there are hundreds who will paid well for your head... but first kneel before me, it is well known that the hunter has never knelt before any king... I want to see you humiliated and kneeling!"

It was clear how Delya's body tensed and the dwarves began to complain "you said it yourself... I do not kneel before anyone..."

"Do it!"

The goblins began to beat her legs but she managed to release them, to dodge them and to take the lightest arms of the company and returning it to their owners, the dwarves began to fight when everything was illuminated demolishing the goblins and leaving them temporally blind. Gandalf shouted to them to take their weapons and follow him, the dwarves obeyed making their way among the hordes of goblins; Gandalf killed the goblin king when he interposed in their escape, the exit in front of them made more of the dwarves to shout of joy. Once out Delya fell on her knees "Delya!" said Ori approaching her "are you okay?" but the girl didn’t speak only shook her head. Fili and Kili approached her worried and right behind them was Oin.

"And Bilbo? Where is our hobbit" said Gandalf.

"I'll tell you where he is... he saw an opportunity and he abandoned us!"

"No, he didn’t..." they all turned around to find the hobbit all dirty and with some of his clothes torn.

"How did you come out? Where were you?" asked the dwarfs.

"Why did you come back?"

"I fell off the bridge but I'm fine, thank you for asking..." Bilbo sigh "I will not say that I haven’t missed my things, especially when your majesty speaks" he said, looking at Thorin "but I would never leave you for a heap of books, an armchair or a garden... I will not leave until you are safe in your true home..."

"Why?" Thorin asked incredulously.

"Because you are my friends..." but before anyone could say anything or Bilbo could approach to Delya, a great howl was heard.

"We jumped out of the fried pan" said the wizard.

"Direct to the fire" Thorin said.

"Run!" said Gandalf and the company could clearly hear the roars, groans and howls of the wargos "climb to the trees" said the wizard. The dwarves did while they fight with the wargos that had reached them, Bilbo was the furthest from the group by which one of the wargo cornered her but before the beast managed to jump against Bilbo they heard a roar and a big black feline appeared striking the wargo and taking Bilbo, ran to the trees surprising many by helping Bilbo up.

 

In seconds they were surrounded by wargos, the beast that helped Bilbo faced several but the others began to jump and push the trees to reach them. When they were all in the last remaining tree, Gandalf took some pineapples and set them on fire, throwing them at the wargos to scare them off. Everyone imitated him and within seconds the wargos ran to avoid burning, but the fire and the weight made the tree unstable and caused it to fall leaving many in a bad position so when the white orc appeared, horror and anger appeared In the face of many, the orc smiled and said **"do you smell it? The smell of fear... I remember your father stinking at that. Thorin, son of Thrain... that is mine, kill the rest"** Thorin looked with hatred at the white orc and rising, ran with his oak shield in one hand and his sword in the other, but the white wargo knocked him down before he could approach the White orc leaving him at the mercy of it, Azog hit him hard, knocking him down and the white wargo took him as a toy, throwing him against a rock. Azog smiled and said to one of the orcs **"bring me the dwarf's head"**  the orc came up but struck to behead him but a small sword got in his way and before he knew what was happening his weapon went flying of his hands and he had received several lethal cuts. Thorin was unconscious, with the image of Bilbo in front of him with his 'open letters' in hand **"you think you can defend him, little rat?"**

 **"Think you can get close to him, scum?"**  said she in dark language, surprising the orc, who sent the other orcs and wargos, Bilbo defended with precision and easily avoided the attacks but Bilbo was surprised to see Azog get off of his wargo, that didn’t happen the first time, he attacked Bilbo by throwing him against Thorin. Azog approached with a smile of satisfaction but when he raise his sword a great roar was heard compelling the orc to look at the other dwarves, seeing the large feline that was heading towards him **"a skin-changer?"**  the beast's advance was halted by the white wargo but the distraction was enough for Bilbo to wound the orc in one side, which roared with rage but before he could hit the hobbit, the beast had its teeth nailed into his arm stopping him. Azog focused on the beast and walked away from Thorin and Bilbo, the other orcs were going to attack them but at that moment they heard a battle cry and the other dwarves attacked them, more wargos appeared without being of help since some eagles took them and threw them down the cliff and then take the company and take them away from there, causing Azog to roar with anger.

 

 

The eagles carried them to the top of a rock. Everyone rushed to see Thorin, all except the hobbit who kept looking to where they had come. They all let out the air they didn’t know they were holding back when Thorin opened his eyes "the halfling?"

"Bilbo is here, he is safe..." said Gandalf.

Dwalin and Fili helped Thorin to his feet, despite Oin's scolding. Thorin saw Bilbo and said "what were you thinking!? They could have killed you!"

"What was I thinking?" Bilbo sighed and looked up "what was I thinking about saving your ass?" he growled, surprising everyone "I don’t know! I don’t know why the hell I save a suicidal, stubborn idiot whose low intelligence easily disappears because the desire of revenge and forgets his companions and family... I don’t know what I was thinking! But I lost my child for that!" the dwarves then realized that Delya wasn’t with them "and you know the worst of everything... I don’t regret saving you... and I would do it again..."

The dwarves couldn’t believe they hadn’t noticed Delya's absence.

 

 

At Bilbo's request, some eagles went to look for Delya but returned with no results.

"I'm sorry" Balin said, approaching her.

"No... it's okay... she was a ranger I prepare myself for bad news for years, but... she always came home with a big smile and full of bandages so... I thought she would always do it..."

Bofur tried to change the subject and said "hey... does anyone know where that big beast that attacked Azog came from?" Bilbo ignoring them.

 

 

That night they stayed with the eagles, but unlike the other nights the camp didn’t have songs or long conversations, without the jokes, questions or complaints of Delya everything had become silent and that did Bilbo remember.

 

<< Flashback >>

"I'm bored!" Delya said.

"We are camping in the middle of nowhere... you want a festival?" Bilbo smiled when Delya show her tongue to her.

"Of course not but I don’t want to sit down to see my feet..." then it seemed like she had an idea "since we are here with nothing to do, tell me about you..."

"What would you like to know?" said Nori smiling and gaining some scolding.

Delya started to think "why so many braids?"

"Each one has a form and a meaning... some represent our mastery, others our ties to our families or our partners..." Balin said.

"That is why Bofur and Bombur, Dori, Nori and Teddy bear, Oin and Gloin, you and Dwalin, the little lion and the baby eagle wear braids with the same design and had similar beads because they are brothers" Balin nodded "Bifur, Bofur and Bombur have a similar because they are cousins" Balin nodded. But before she could continue to ask questions, a howl was heard and the lively atmosphere was lost.

<< End of Flashback >>

 

 

 

Before leaving the eagles seemed to offer a bow to Bilbo and the dwarves asked Gandalf if he knew what was happening "they are giving their condolences..." the dwarves looked down.

Bilbo went to them carrying several things "what is all that Bilbo?"

"The eagles found this... here" he said, handing an arch to Kili, a pair of dagger to Fili and a book to Ori they tried to stop him "I will not use them... and she would have liked you to have these things..." the three thanked him.

Kili realized that the bow was modified to increase the force and speed of the arrow, Fili saw that the daggers were masterpieces and Ori realized that in the book there were several notes and drawings explaining many of the things that the girl had seen during her life.

 

 

During the time they had been traveling Fili, Kili And Ori had become really close to Bilbo and Delya, more than one supposed to be because they are the youngest in the company but Delya shares Kili's taste for bow, Fili's taste for blades and Ori’s taste for drawing and reading whenever they had a free time practiced or competed, while Bilbo treats them in a delicate, affectionate, protective way almost like a mother.

On the other hand, Bofur was clearly the closest to them outside of the youngest, they were always together, it was the one closest to them to sleep, always talking or making jokes; Nori had developed a particular affection for both of them since the incident at Bree, but it all started when they made a joke stealing a few things from each other and recovering each time. So it became a habit that certain things of that pair disappeared as well as some of his things, challenging themselves to recover them without the other noticed. Delya had a talent for becoming a thief so behind Bilbo, Dori, Gloin, Balin and Dwalin, the latter had become the guardians of the girl, he taught her some tricks. Bilbo never judged him or was ashamed of him, not even when they were in Rivendell and one of the guards almost caught him but the poor guard only gained a menacing glance from Bilbo and a mischievous smile from Delya, causing him to lose his color.

Dori had Discovered that Bilbo had made all the clothes that he and Delya wore, drawing much attention from the tailor as all the pieces, although a bit worn, they were a masterpiece. Bilbo shared his love for cook with Bombur, while Delya shared his love of eating it, so they soon became close. Bifur felt at peace near the hobbit and the girl, and although they didn’t understand what he said somehow they always knew what he was trying to tell them so he could be quiet near to them.

Oin talked a lot with both about his medical knowledge, whereas Gloin had become a little protector after discovering their ages, especially with Delya, in addition to that he appreciated the company of Bilbo that listened attentively his histories of his wife and son, while sharing some of Delya.

Dwalin found his perfect training partner with Delya, the girl had energy, reflexes and was stubborn, while Bilbo showed some ability during his practice with his 'open letters'. Balin noticed that he enjoyed his conversations with Bilbo while it was noticed that he felt a certain affection for Delya whom he looked at as he looked at Fili and Kili. The only one who hadn’t become close to them was Thorin, who at every opportunity insulted to Bilbo or despised Delya.


	9. Some Secrets. Revealed

* * *

**NOTE:**

 

> 'Thoughts'
> 
> _Sindarin_
> 
> **_Khuzdul_ **
> 
> **Black Speech**

* * *

 

They had been running from the orcs for two days and they were exhausted.

"I know a place near here" said Gandalf.

"Friend or foe?"

"No one... he can help us or kill us... he didn’t like dwarves, but he hate orcs, so he could help us…"

Thorin thought for a few seconds nodding "guide us" they had to run when a group of wargos detected them but when they visualized the house they had to avoid a huge black bear, who for some strange reason stopped just before they arrived to the house allowing them to enter.

"What was that?" Ori asked once inside the house.

"That... he's our host... he's a skin-changer, sometimes a big man, calm, kind, and talkable other a huge bear as dangerous as any other bear…"

"Black magic" said Dori "he must be under a spell..."

"I assure you, Master Dori, it is not black magic..."

Everyone was worried about the possible scenarios of the next day but the fatigue was greater to the concern.

 

 

 

The next morning, Bilbo wake before everyone else, Delya's death private her from sleeping well, she knew that Beorn wouldn’t hurt her, so she went out to look at the garden. She saw Beorn approaching and surprised to see what was in his arms, it was Delya, Bilbo covered her mouth and tears began to fall for her cheeks.

"Is it your pup?" Beorn said as she approached him.

Bilbo cleared her throat and said "if for pup you refer to Delya... then my answer is yes... and allow me to apologize for my behavior but I thought that I had lost her" tears rolled down his cheeks.

Beorn smiled "relax little bunny... I found the pup badly injured near the river"

"Thank you for saving her"

"You don’t have to thank me…"

"I'm so sorry about last night... my companions and I burst into your house-"

"Companions?"

"They are inside the house-"

Beorn crouched taking Bilbo with his free arm and putting her on his shoulder "we'll see your companions..."

 

Gandalf and the dwarves were discussing the order in which they should leave and how they should behave before their host so they were very surprised to see a man taller than Gandalf at the door of the house with Bilbo at his side and Delya in his arms.

"Delya!?" cried many to see her. The girl looked weak and could see clearly the cuts and blows on her face and arms as well as several bands, tried to approach but Gandalf stopped them.

"My greetings Beorn..."

"Who you are?"

"My name is Gandalf the Gray"

"Never heard of you"

"You may have heard of my good friend, Radagast"

Beorn nodded "he's a good man... what brought you here?"

"Didn’t our friend catch up with you?" Said Gandalf, referring to Bilbo.

"The little bunny and the pup are my guests but you... it will depend on your answers..."

"I see" Gandalf said, nodding.

"Mr. Beorn with all due respect, we would be grateful if you would bring our friends down" Balin said.

"The little bunny and the pup will stay in my room until I decide what to do with all of you..." the dwarves didn’t like the idea and wielded their weapons, but Gandalf stopped them.

"We understand, but we'd like to check on the girl-"

"They will not put a finger on the pup until I don’t determine that they are trustworthy" he said, passing them, the dwarves tried to stop him but Gandalf kept them behind.

 

 

 

Beorn went to his room and left Delya in a huge bed, placing Bilbo next to her and said "here you can use your magic..." Bilbo looked surprised "my kin was one of the few that was close to the fairies I recognize one when I see it"

"Thank you"

"You've thanked me so much this morning" Beorn said, smiling "I'll go talk to your companions... and give them something to eat" Bilbo nodded "you should tell them the truth about both..." Beorn left the room and Bilbo sighed.

 

 

 

The dwarves were waiting for him, their eyes full of fury and worry.

"I would never hurt the little bunny or the pup... now come I will serve you something to eat..." Gandalf tell him about their crossing through the Misty Mountains and their escape from the orcs "great story... but I must check that it is true"

"There is no problem but we would like to see our friends"

Beorn looked at them and breathed deeply, nodded, went to his room and smiled to see Bilbo in her true form "you are very beautiful and more delicate than I expected..."

Bilbo looked up, was sitting on the bed with Delya's head in her lap "my friends?"

"They want to see you and the pup..."

Bilbo nodded, closed her eyes and started to change but the change stopped "what…?"

"You have used too much of your energy... you must rest, I will tell your friends that you are sleeping..."

 

 

Bilbo smiled and thanked him. The news that they would have to wait until the next morning to see Bilbo and Delya didn’t like to the dwarves and they began to accuse Beorn of having done something to them and it was at that moment that the door of the room of the skin-changer opened showing a small and delicate girl, her height, her pointed ears and honey-colored hair were the same as those of Bilbo, although unlike the hobbit the hair of the girl arrived at her waist, her eyes were of a beautiful hazel color and her feet were small. The strange thing was to see her wearing Bilbo's clothes "shut up... I will explain everything but for now... just give me a momnet to rest" and with that said the girl closed the door.

 

Gandalf looked at the dwarves who evidently demanded an answer, so he pointed to the table and asked them to sit down, Beorn was close to them. Thorin stared at him without expression on his face. Gandalf took a deep breath and said "I'm going to tell you a story and I hope you listen patiently and without interrupting..." the dwarves nodded and Gandalf started "during the first era the elves weren’t the only ones on the middle earth... Yavanna Kementari, wife of your creator, one of the most powerful valie and brave enough to challenge Eru created the Ents and fairies, the fairies protected the plants and animals of the earth... they were beings of light and they had a great role during the war against the Dark Lord..." Gandalf sighed "when the men and the dwarves appeared the elves confined the fairies to the forests to protect them but that made the fairies go to the towns out of curiosity not being able to avoid to show their powers... fairies could heal the earth and make the plants grow at high speed, men hunted them for that and cut their wings, locking them and forcing them to use their powers to death..."

"The dwarves also hunted them" Beorn growled "they created legends saying that the dwarf who possessed a fairy would gain a great power... your kind were no different from men..."

"And how do you know that?" Dwalin asked.

"My kin swore loyalty to the fairies they protected us and we to them... we were easy prey for the orcs because the men and dwarves hunted the fairies until their extinction..."

Gandalf kept talking to give Beorn time to reassured "when the elves found out... it was too late and they could only save five fairies... three of them were too old and died with the passage of time, one died in an attempt of show that the men and dwarves weren’t that bad and the last used her powers to mingle with another race... the hobbits, that fairy became the wife of the leader of the Took clan... their sons inherited their powers, some of their grandchildren too, but the powers were lost in the next generations..." Gandalf watched the Dwarfs "until forty years ago"

"When I born" the dwarves turned to see Bilbo "for some strange reason I was born like a fairy... I was forced to use my powers to hide what I was..."

"But why a man Hobbit?" Ori asked.

"My birth was complicated and my mother couldn’t have more children... which meant that I was the heir of Bag End, but being a woman when I came of age my family would force me to get married to preserve My parent’s house and they didn’t want to put me in such problematic situation so they raised me as a man... when I was old enough to use some of my powers I changed my appearance... nobody in the shire except my parents, my grandmother Adamanta Took and my aunt Donnamira Took knew what I really was... until I traveled to Rivendell where I could be myself-"

"Was there where you met Elrond and you had Delya?" Bofur asked.

"What?" Bilbo looked at him confused and realized that neither she nor Delya had clarified their relationship "Delya is... isn’t my daughter... she- she is a skin-changer just like Beorn, Gandalf took her to my home 10 years ago I have cared and loved her since then... unlike our host she can take the form of the animal she wants... the beast that helped me in the mountains was her..."

"Why are you telling us all this now, lad-lass?" Balin asked.

"Because you are my friends and because my body no longer resists the excess energy that I am using..." the dwarves saw themselves as the way Bilbo changed to the girl and they could realize how weak she was "I am sorry..." the dwarves looked away, they could understand why she had hidden the truth, now that they knew what had happened to her kin, but it hurt them that she hadn’t trusted them.

Oin looked at the others, got up from his chair and approached Bilbo "you are weak, you must go to rest... I would also like to see how Delya is..."

"She is fine... I- I heal her... is one of my powers"

Oin seemed to realize something "lass, I'm going to ask you something and I want you to answer honestly" Bilbo nodded "you... healed our wounds?" Bilbo narrowed her eyes and nodded.

"When?"

"Kili always slept during his guard... I took advantage of that moment..."

"That's why our wounds have healed so well" Bilbo nodded "lass, thanks to you I didn’t have to worry about those idiots... thank you" Bilbo smiled "there is something I can help you with Delya?"

"I can heal the wounds but as you may have noticed the pain is still there for a while... if you could prepare something for that I would be grateful..."

"I will gladly help you... when you have some rest" Bilbo nodded and entered Beorn's room.

Oin turned and asked Gandalf and Beorn "you said that some fairies died by using too much their powers..." the wizard and the skin-changer nodded "tell me the truth, the lass has been struggling to heal us and keep hidden her appearance?" the wizard and the skin-changer see each other and nodded again. The dwarves realized that she had been helping them in spite of everything, that she had risked her life and the life of her daughter for them. They must have realized before, it is true that Oin is a great healer but they already said that their wounds were healed very fast, those of Thorin were an example in only two days the wounds that made him Azog and his wargo had closed.

 

 

 

Thorin's dream was not blurry or random images this time. He was standing in the throne room when he felt a hand on his arm, looked at his side and there was Bilbo wearing a beautiful dress with the color and design symbol of his family, his bead in her hair, a quiet and loving smile on her face. She made him crouch down to give him a kiss and as he did so he felt his chest burn and his mind relax. She was his One.

 

Thorin woke up with that in mind 'she's his One' but how he might know, she's not a dwarf ever to hear Mahal's whisper, his secret name, and he would never hear hers because she doesn't have one.

 

 

 

The next morning Bilbo was awakened by a kiss on the forehead, when she opened her eyes she saw Delya smiling and couldn’t stop the tears from sprouting "how do you feel?"

"As if I have fallen from a mountain" she murmur.

"Very funny..." Bilbo look at her "don’t do that to me again... it's been the two most stressful days of my existence"

Delya looked at her for a few seconds "you told them everything, huh?"

"How...?"

"I woke up for a moment and listen to everything you told them..."

"I-"

"It’s okay... now I can change myself with freedom... well if they still want a monster in their company"

"Monster?" said Beorn when he enter to the room "a name with which many know ours kind..."

Delya smiled "Mr bear, thanks for your help..."

"You don’t have to thank little pup... I came to take you to the dining room" Bilbo and Delya nodded, Bilbo was still tired so she told them to go ahead and Delya could feel the pain in her leg so she gladly accepted the help.

 

The dwarves were sitting in the dining room when they heard the laughter of their host, who was carrying Delya, Beorn sat her in one of the chairs and she smiled.

"Delya!"

"Hey, did you miss me?"

"I couldn’t make a joke without you..." Nori said with a big smile.

Delya looked at the others and couldn’t help but smile and say ‘thank you’, surprising the dwarves "many of the people I met always treated me differently when they found out... they were scared or looked at me with hate, so thanks for acting as always..." everyone smiled at her. Then Fili put what Bilbo had given him in front of her and Kili and Ori did the same "where did they get those things?"

"One of the eagles found them and Bilbo gave them to us" Fili said "I suppose you'll want them back"

Delya smiled and returned them, the three looked at her in confusion "they are yours... I asked to my friends to make the bow for you, I made the book thinking about you and those are my favorite daggers..."

"Why?"

"Because you have become my best Friends-" she shook her head "you have became my brothers and I wanted to give you something..."

"It's a shame you missed the other presents..." Bilbo said and everyone turned to look at her. Oin approached her and asked her how she felt, Bilbo assured him that she had nothing that a good meal wouldn’t fix and said "she had gifts for each of you" the others smiled and assured her that it did not matter.

 

Bilbo went to the table and sat in the middle of Fili and Kili, the brothers hadn’t heard their uncle speak since she had told them everything and feared that he would shout or something "master- miss Baggins I would want to talk to you..." all were silent for a few moments and Bilbo nodded.

 

 

After breakfast they both went to the garden while some of the company wanted to follow them but the others stopped them. The silence was uncomfortable so Bilbo tried to speak "Thorin- Master Oakenshield... I-"

But Thorin interrupted "I will not ask for an apology or explanation... everyone have their secrets but I would like to know that there is trust between us..."

Bilbo stay a few seconds, she knew Thorin wasn’t the kind that lies or make jokes "you can rest easy... I trust you, but you trust me?"

"You saved our lives on more than one occasion, I don’t think we have a reason to distrust... which reminds me I didn’t thanked you for what you did for me in the mountains"

"You don’t have to thank me, I already told you, I would do it again..."

"I was surprised... and you showed me that I was wrong, that you are part of this company like any of those dwarfs" that made Bilbo smile and thank him.

 

 

The rest of the day was spent reviewing the things they still had and making a list of what they would need. When Delya said "I'm bored!"

Nori started laughing and the others looked at him "I've missed hearing that..." the others laughed too.

Delya smiled and said "the last time I was left with a doubt about your braids..."

"I thought you understood" Balin said.

"I do… but I have a question. What relationship you have with Dori?"

Balin hesitated for a second before answering "Dori and I... we're married..."

"I didn’t know that the dwarves allowed marriage between dwarves of the same sex"

Dori smiled "you aren’t the only one who hid the fact of being women... Nori, Ori and I are women too..."

Delya's smile grew "I knew it!" she looked at Bilbo and she shook her head "when all this is over you owe me a big chocolate cake and I can eat it all alone..."

The dwarves looked at them in confusion and Bilbo with a smile said "she told me the Ri brothers were actually the Ri sisters but I told her that she was just making fun of them because the size of their beards..."

"So we bet... if she won, I would have to wear dresses for a whole month but if I won she would have to prepare the food that I wanted for a whole month..." Bilbo rolled her eyes and shook her head "that's why the material is different, isn’t it?"

"You're very observant" Delya nodded proudly "but how ...?"

"As I spied you I realized that none of them bathed with you..."

"Spying on us?"

"I get bored easily... so I was looking for ways to make fun of you... but I don’t understand the relationship between Dwalin and Nori?" causing the redhead to choke on her drink and start coughing.

"What do you mean?" Dori said.

"Nori and Dwalin have a braid and matching beads just behind their necks..." Delya smiled mischievously when she saw Nori, who had her ears completely red like Dwalin. And then innocently said "what relationship do they have?"

"Dwalin! What does this mean!? you two are courting!? Without the permission of your families!"

"Calm down Dori... we started a little before this quest and I told the big boy to wait until all this finished..."

"And you use his bead?"

"He’s my One... I saw no reason to refuse it..."

"One?" Delya asked but no one paid attention because a great discussion had arisen.

"Gentlemen... gentlemen..." Bilbo looked at Delya and she transformed into a big feline roaring and catching the attention of all who turned to see her and Bilbo "if I understand well, the fuss is due to the fact that Dwalin didn’t ask permission, right?" Dori nodded "but I don’t think they did anything inappropriate" she said looking at Delya who denied "I think the best you can do is sit down to talk, because let's be sincere if they love each other what would you win by separating them?"

"Right, we will talk this night and we can do all this in order... until then I don’t want to see your face" Dori said looking at Dwalin.

"Can I already make my question?" said Delya returning to her human form, complaining of pain a little.

"Are you okay?" Oin said approaching her.

"Yes... it's the payment for my powers... every time I change if the difference in size is too much... well... it hurts a little"

Oin looked at Bilbo but she shook her head "nobody can do anything about it and she would never stop changing..."

Oin sigh resigned and Delya continued "can I ask my question?" Balin nodded "what is a One?"

"Our partner, our other half created by Mahal... a dwarf can only love once and that is because our One is our perfect match and we will not find nothing better in the world"

"It’s like the destined partner of elves and men... or as the soul mate of the hobbits?"

"Is there any difference?" Ori asked taking out her notebook.

"The destined partner is a person with whom they can have the perfect relationship but there is more than one and that is why it isn’t uncommon for the elves and men to marry and separate... on the other hand the soul mate is…"

"It's that person for whom our lady Yavanna made us..." Bilbo said.

Delya smiled and kept asking "how do you know that someone is your One?"

Fili was the one who replied "Mahal shows us our One in a dream so that we can look for them and when we find it he tells us our secret name to confirm that we are destined..."

"Secret name?"

"It's a name that Mahal gives us when he create us and only your **_amad_** , you and your One know it" Kili said.

"The hobbits… how do they find their soul mate?" ask Ori.

Bilbo look at her for a few seconds "there are three things... the first thing is his voice that warms our heart and with it our seed born and that is the second sign"

"Seed?"

Bilbo nodded "the seed is of the flower of our birth, of which Yavanna created us... and the third is our mark"

"Mark?" Ori asked, Bilbo nodded and picked up the sleeve of her shirt showing a small tattoo of a strange writing

"What does it say?"

"I cannot tell you, and only my soul mate can read it..."

"And did you find your soul mate?"

"No..."

"Does that mean you don’t know your birth flower?"

"Oh, I know..."

"What flower is it?"

Bilbo looked down "it's a striated carnation..."

"And that's bad?"

"Striated carnation means rejection"

"Rejection?"

Bilbo shrugged "maybe I'm destined to be rejected by my soul mate..." she said with a smile.

Delya cleared her throat and said "the other thing with the soul mates is that every hobbit has one and... well, they can love another person but they can only have children with their soul mate..." they all looked at Bilbo and she nodded. Delya smiled mockingly "and that means they can have fun without worrying about having children out of wedlock"

"Delya!" Bilbo blushed and the others laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> amad - mother


	10. Mirkwood

* * *

**NOTE:**

 

 

> 'Thoughts'
> 
> _Sindarin_
> 
> **_Khuzdul_ **
> 
> **Black Speech**

* * *

 

The next morning Bilbo and Delya weren’t in the room and they all started looking for them but Gandalf told them that they had left early to walk a little and that they shouldn’t worry.

 

 

 

On the other hand, Bilbo took Delya to a small stream and took her vambraces, closing her eyes to see the wound began to appear and the blood, Delya's face showed pain and tears flowed from her eyes, while Bilbo was trying to lessen the pain with her powers.

"Why did you do it on your birthday?" Bilbo said in a broken voice.

"My parents weren’t at home and I felt unnecessary, a nuisance... I felt that everything would be better once I had disappeared... and I make no mistake"

"Why do Yavanna and Eru make you go through this?"

"I suppose it's a small price that I have to pay to have the opportunity to know what a real family is... to have you as my mother..." Bilbo hugged her.

When it all happened and Delya's wound had been bandaged, and Bilbo was washing the blood of her clothes already calm she said "I'm going to take a bath..."

"It's okay... I'm going to lie here..." she said leaning against a rock and putting her feet in the creek, the pain in her left arm was unbearable but then she remembered that thanks to that her parents were happy and she was free so she couldn’t avoid smiling and relaxing.

Bilbo realized how Delya's body relaxed and began to fall asleep, she take her bath time so that Delya could sleep after all the night before she had had nightmares and that wound 'the poor must be exhausted' she thought as she took off her clothes.

 

 

 

…

 

Thorin went into the garden and leaned against one of the trees falling asleep and having a dream.

 

<< Dream >>

There was a stream and there was a person, her honey-colored hair fell free on her back, her body was much more delicate and thin than was seen in clothes, when she turned he could see the shape of her body, the freckles which rested on her breast and the flame that exist in those hazel  eyes.

It was Bilbo, in her true form, in a crystalline stream, patiently and delicately washing her body. Thorin felt his heart racing and his body moving in her direction, the desire to touch her, to know the taste of those lips or the smell of that hair was too great but then a voice stopped him. 

<< Dream - End >>

 

Thorin growled as he woke up watching his best friend in front of him "it's strange to see you smile while you sleep" said Dwalin "did you have a good dream?" Thorin groaned.

 

 

 

Bilbo and Delya returned almost at noon, Bilbo look clean and happy while Delya was relaxed to the point of walking sleepy. By the time they had to leave, Beorn wasn’t comfortable with the idea of let his friends entering the black forest but could do nothing more than warn them.

 

 

At the gates of the forest, Gandalf had to leave, without first warning them not to leave the road.

 

 

At the entrance

"I feel much sicker now..."

"You'll be fine?" Delya whispered.

"I don’t know... I'm really afraid to take a step in there... I feel I shouldn’t touch the land of this forest..."

"Do you want me to carry you?" Delya smiled to see that Bilbo considered her proposal, reason why she transformed into a huge black wolf. The others turned around to hear a groan and see the transformed girl, some could not help but step back. The wolf crouched allowing Bilbo to mount her.

"Something wrong? You don’t feel well?" Oin said approaching her.

"I'm fine... but because of my powers I consider it best not to touch anything of this place..." the others nodded and went on their way but Oin walk next to Bilbo and Delya, as did Dori and Nori.

 

 

Thanks to Bilbo's advice they were able to make good progress along the way and more than one couldn’t avoid asking her if she had gone through that place before, but Bilbo said no but the forest told her where it was best to walk, which was true unlike the first time now she could clearly hear the forest that guided them out as quickly as possible.

 

 

Gloin was the one who took care of taking Bilbo so that Delya could return to her true form while they camped. When she did the pain was evident on the face of the girl Oin approached but she assured him that she was okay.

"Why does it hurt you so much?" Ori asked sitting down next to Bilbo who was sitting on the fur of Gloin.

"It's because she was not born as a skin-changer but became one..."

"And you cannot do something for her?"

"No one can do anything..." Delya said, curling up beside Bilbo "it only hurts when I'm changing..."

Fili and Kili sat next to them "what if you touch the floor?" Kili asked.

Bilbo seemed to think about it and then shrugged "I don’t really know... but something tells me that my body would not resist the walk... and that I wouldn’t touch this place… "  _yet_

"We can charge you if you get tired of traveling with Delya..."

 

 

The following days were not different, their minds seemed to stay focused and they still had food 'everything will be fine if we stay on the road' Bilbo thought, Fili and Kili carried her several times realizing that Delya was beginning to limp but they weren’t the only ones to notice. So one night while they camped Oin came and asked to examine her, Delya told him that it was not necessary that she didn’t have anything but that wasn’t enough to stop the doctor and the girl ended up yielding.

Oin removed Delya's vambraces and saw the bandages, when he took them off he was surprised to see the scars "who made you this girl?"

"I..." the horror on the dwarfs face was more than evident.

"Why?"

"Because I always thought my parents would be better without me... but it was... these wounds are the reason because I became what I am so... it was worth it..." Oin I look at Bilbo but she only sigh.

"I will give you something for the pain..." Delya sighed and the others didn’t mention the subject but they kept an eye on her for the rest of the trip.

It was only a day before they reached the forest exit, but that night while they were camping, Delya didn’t return to her true form.

"Delya?" 'Something dark is coming' only Bilbo could understand her "how close?" 'they will be upon us in less than five minutes' Bilbo got up "take your weapons... something is coming..." the dwarves didn’t hesitate to obey it, everything around them was absolute silence but then of one of the trees appeared a great spider and attacked Delya for being the biggest target, the others tried to help her but the other spiders soon arrived. Delya managed to free herself and prevent Bilbo from being attacked but she ordered her to hide, Delya obeyed becoming a small mouse and hiding in one of her pockets, seeing the arrows that eliminated the remaining spiders and the elves that took them as prisoners.

"Walk" said one of the elves to Bilbo.

"Excuse me... but I can’t... if you would be so kind to allow one of my companions to carry me, I would be grateful..."

"Donwen take her, so we will make sure her companions don’t try anything..." Bilbo wanted to take a step back avoiding the elf touching her, they would know what she was and didn’t want to find out what they would do with her if they discovered it but couldn’t make anything and as soon as the elf touched her arm he was surprised and offered a reverence "what are you doing?" Legolas asked.

"She... she's a fairy, my lord" Legolas looked at her and he was the one who took her in his arms, blinking several times as he tried to focus, Legolas didn’t take his eyes off Bilbo all the way

"Stare is rude" she said. Legolas didn’t respond and once they were inside the palace of Thranduil "take the dwarves to the dungeons... I will take care of the fairy..." the dwarves tried to oppose but they could do nothing to avoid it.

Legolas take Bilbo to the throne room where Thranduil was "what do you bring with you, son?"

"A fairy" Thranduil set his glass aside and asked his son to leave them alone.

_"What are you doing here? Why were you with those dwarves?"_

_"I’m planning to help them..."_  Bilbo has to make that the elfking help them.

_"To recover Erebor? It's crazy... the only thing they will do is wake the beast and bring destruction... why do you help them?"_

_"Because I can... unlike you that only let them perish"_

_"I was not going to risk mine for something that those dwarves provoked... what happened to them was the result of their greed"_

_"Greed? I will not deny that they made many mistakes... that I hope to be able to correct but you talk to me of greed... what about you, what you did in that place and with your army? It's impossible that you came so fast to help... but you didn’t help so what were you doing there?_ " Thranduil didn’t respond " _you had planned to declare war to them? And get that necklace by force, right?"_

"Is that true?" said Legolas.

"That necklace belongs to me" Thranduil groaned.

"Then let's make a deal... and I'll give you back the necklace. A part of the recovered treasure will be mine... I'll take the necklace and give it to you... I can also help you heal the forest" Delya stirred in her pocket.

"In exchange for what?"

"Once the mountain has been recovered, the orcs will not miss the opportunity and attack while they are weak... I only ask for your help"

"What about the dragon?"

"I have a plan, the dragon will not be a problem..."

"Well... Legolas release them, return their things and take them out of the forest... also give them some food" Legolas nodded and retired.

"Thanks"

"Why do you do this?"

"It's my job remove the darkness of this world and I will do it... and before we go I need to ask you other favor"


	11. Laketown

* * *

**NOTE:**

 

 

> 'Thoughts'
> 
> _Sindarin_
> 
> **_Khuzdul_ **
> 
> **Black Speech**

* * *

 

The dwarves were taken from their cells, taken to a great hall and their weapons were returned.

"What is the mean of this, elf?" Thorin growled.

"His Majesty has ordered us to release you and give you your weapons..."

"Why?"

"Because you have someone who knows how to negotiate in your company" Thranduil said, entering the room, the dwarves turned to look at Bilbo who was walking beside him.

"Bilbo!" the younger ones tried to approach but the elves prevented it.

 _"I'd appreciate it if you didn’t treat my friends like that"_  Bilbo said, and the elves apologized and offered a bow.

"I apologize for your visit to the dungeons, I hope you do not resent it" Thranduil said with a ladylike smile.

 _"Remember your promise_ " Bilbo said, catching the attention of the elf king who nodded and gave orders to his guards. The dwarves approached Bilbo and asked her what she did "I just talk to him" she told them.

 

 

 

The captain of the guard, a she-elf with red hair, led them to the exit, while carrying Bilbo, who asked her to accompany them.

_"It would be an honor to accompany you but I don’t think your companions like me with them"_

_"You're going to accompany me, not them"_

The dwarves realized that the she-elf didn’t plan to retire and Thorin planned to send her back to the forest but Bilbo prevented it.

"Why is she still here?"

"There's something I need her to help me with..."

"I don’t approve"

"I don’t need you to approve. She's accompanying me, not you, and if you don’t want her to be around you I can camp with her somewhere else" Thorin growled but said nothing else, allowing the she-elf to stay but keeping Dwalin with her.

 

Once they camped Kili approached Bilbo and the she-elf "since you will accompany us, you could tell us your name" said the young dwarf with a smile, causing more than one rolled their eyes and Bilbo smiled.

"My name is Tauriel"

"I'm Kili" he said with the dumbest smile he could put or that was what Bilbo thought. Fili and Ori approached and presented and said the name of the others, by their attitude it was noticed that they didn’t accept her but they tried to do it for Bilbo.

 

Then Ori was the one who spoke "Bilbo, where is Delya?"

"Sleeping" she said, showing them the little mouse sleeping in her pocket "she will remain like that for a while"

"Why? something happened?" it was Kili who asked now.

"She is just resting..."

 

 

 

They continued their way to Esgaroth and during their last camp before arriving at the city Delya finally left the pocket of Bilbo transforming into a great black wolf, surprising Tauriel.

"What!?" she said taking several steps back and wielding her weapon.

"Calm down, she's Delya..." Kili said.

"She is a special skin-changer" Bilbo smiled as Delya stretched out "she can take the form of any animal..." Tauriel relaxed a little but didn’t move from where she was, tensing herself once more as Delya approached sitting in front of her and wagging her tail "she will not hurt you" said Bilbo, and the elf reached out her hand to pet the wolf, surprised when it approached to her hand, Tauriel petted it.

"It's so soft..." she said with an expression on her face and not her typical poker face, the wolf seemed to like her comment and moved closer to her.

"She likes you to do that..."

"Really!?" said Fili and Kili at the same time "I thought she would not like us to treat her like an… well an animal, so we always avoid to pet her" said Kili.

"Her real parents never showed affection to her, so when someone does, she really likes it" said, watching Tauriel return to her seat next to Ori, while Delya lay between them.

But then Delya stood looking in the direction of the woods, as did Bilbo and Tauriel. 'Orcs,' groaned Delya. Bilbo who was the only one who could understand her said " _your wounds have completely recovered..."_  she could clearly see how the wolf smiled and grunted.

"What happen?" Asked more than one.

"Something is coming here" Delya left "where is she going?" Tauriel asked.

"To hunt" Bilbo said.

 

 

An hour later, when everyone began to take out their sleeping bags, a groan was heard, everyone turned around to find the black wolf carrying an orc on her muzzle, the arms and legs of the orc had been mutilated. Everyone was surprised and before anyone could ask the reason, Bilbo approached them, no one said anything since Bilbo's eyes were cold and dull, she squat in front of the orc and said **"how far are your companions?"**

The orc was surprised at the question and the language but then roared **"you think I'd tell you, RAT!"**

Bilbo touched the orc's forehead and the orc, making the orc cry.

 **"If you do not want me to do that again... talk"**  she hissed.

The orc breathed with difficulty **"they will be at the gates of the dwarven kingdom in 20 days... and when they reach them the heads of the Durin family will roll and their lineage will end!"**  Bilbo rose thoughtfully, nodding to Delya who closed her teeth in the neck of the orc.

"Do you speak black tongues?"

"That's not important... an orc army will be at the gates of Erebor in 20 days... you need to ask for help..." the dwarves looked at her in horror

"But no one will give it to us until we recover the Arkenstone or the dragon is dead..." Kili said worried about what the fairy-hobbit said.

"Don’t worry about the dragon I have a plan... ask for help claiming that the dragon is no longer a problem... Balin do you sent the letters to Ered Luin?" the dwarf nodded.

"They'll be in Erebor in two weeks, but-"

Thorin interrupted "what are you talking about? Why the caravans will be in Erebor in two weeks? We haven’t achieved our goal yet-"

"And you doubt that you can achieve it?" Bilbo interrupted "because I don’t leave my home to fail…"

"What...? No"

"Then why wait? I thought that without the dragon in Erebor the orcs would soon be attacking and I'm not mistaken if they are already on the way... the best thing is to have as many dwarves back in the mountains as soon as possible... don’t you think?"

"You're right... but tell us what you plan to do lass?" Balin said to her.

"That my friend, it's a secret"

 

 

The next day they entered Esgaroth. Everyone knew that men wouldn’t help them without promising them gold in exchange, but even so they would probably be a problem, they thought they were going to get some provisions and leave without being seen, but then Bilbo saw him, the same man who had helped them before.

"Bilbo? Where are you going?" Bofur whispered but she said nothing and approached to Bard.

"Good morning, good sir"

"What do you want child?"

Bilbo took off her hood "I assure you that I am not a child..." Bard looked at her and for the first time he noticed the dwarves.

"Who are you?"

"Travelers who need help" Bard sighed and continued with what he was doing "and who can pay for that help" she said, taking out a bag of gold. Bard looked at the dwarves and then Bilbo.

"What do you want?"

"A place to hide for a couple of days... I promise you will not regret it..." Bard was surprised, but sighed then thought a little and nodded.

"What are you doing?"

"We need to get in and out of the city without its inhabitants noticing that there were dwarves in it..."

"How are you so sure he will not betray us?"

Bilbo smiled "he will not... calm down"

 

They were not sure of that but they accepted, although the idea of entering the barrels didn’t pleased them so much and less the idea of being thrown fish on them. Tauriel and Bilbo were stealthy so they would enter on their own. Once they arrived at Bard's house the dwarves were cleaned as best as possible while Bilbo and Tauriel tried to avoid laughing at the way they had come in. Bard looked at them and asked "what's it all about? What are you doing here?"

"These dwarves plan to get their home back-"

"Erebor!? Don’t! You cannot do it, if the dragon wake up the first thing he will do is destroy the surroundings including this city!"

"No, if you take care of him..." Bilbo said and they all glared her "you are the heir of Girion, no?"

"His ancestor was the one who failed!"

"He is not his ancestor, just as you are not yours" Bilbo said, glaring at Thorin and then at Bard "you still have one of those arrows? The black arrows..." Bard was surprised and breathing deeply he nodded, something told him that there was no case to lied to the person in front of him "bring it here... I need to show you something and you can stop looking at me like that? I'll explain my plan" she told to Thorin while the man go to search the arrow.

 

 

After a few minutes Bard came back with a big arrow, causing more than a dwarf to approach to see it, he put it on the table and Bilbo began to tell them her plan "first, I need you to recover your place as the Dale's lord" she said, looking at Bard.

"I cannot do that, Dale's just ruins now..."

"But not for long" Bilbo said, looking at Thorin "you'll help them to rebuild their city?" Thorin looked at her and then at Bard and nodded.

"But what about the governor?" asked the man.

"Don’t worry, we'll take care of him tonight..." she said looking at Tauriel "at the end of this night there will be those who follow you and who will not. Thranduil will be here in a moment-"

"What!?" said more than a dwarf.

"Do not look at me like that... what he said is true, the dragon will destroy everything in its wake as soon as it wakes up and unlike you I think in the “what if...?” So I asked for help... Thranduil will evacuate all who follow you into his realm and you’ll take care of the dragon"

"Why he?"

Bilbo sighed "because it is his right and duty to finish what his ancestor started... let me finish..." the dwarves grumbled "I'll enter the mountain and get Smaug, you'll take care of him when that happens..." Bilbo took a dagger and cut her palm dropping her blood on the arrow’s head.

"What was that for?"

"My blood is... special" she said while she was selling the wound "you must make sure to hit him in the chest at his weak point..."

"That's just a legend..." Dwalin said in a mocking tone.

"No, it's not..."

"How do you know?"

"I saw it... right in the chest he is missing a scale" she said pointing in her chest the place "you only have one shot don’t fail..." Bard had no idea what was going on but something told him to trust in the small person in front of him.

"Wait what you plan to do with the governor?" Bilbo smiled.

 

 

After a few minutes Bilbo asked Bard to take her and Tauriel to the governor but when she saw the dwarfs face of doubt she spoke again "Thorin Oakenshield, I'm going to ask you a question and I hope an honest answer..." Thorin nodded "when you get back Erebor, you will help rebuild Dale, right?" Thorin firmly nodded again "are you willing to form an alliance with elves and men once again?"

Thorin frowned and thought for several minutes "if the elves and men are willing, then I too will be?"

Bilbo smiled "one last thing… do you trust me?" she said looking at all and the dwarves nodded immediately "then stay here and trust me" the dwarves nodded, but not all stayed, as Fili, Kili and Nori followed them from the shadows.

 

 

Bard, Tauriel and Bilbo in seconds were “received” by a group of guards who took them to what appeared to be a square in it good times and where several people gathered. The dwarves looked at everything from their different hiding places.

"Who are you and what are they doing here?" said a gross man coming out of the largest house in the whole city.

Bilbo beckoned to Tauriel to show her "Governor of Esgaroth, I am the Commander of the guard of Mirkwood I have a message of King Thranduil and I come as his representative to inform you that we will no longer negotiate with you and your followers..." all humans were silent "since from now on the only one the king will accept as a representative will be the heir of Girion, Lord of Dale and whom he chooses as the Ruler of Esgaroth-"

"That's absurd! Why would he do that? Dale is no longer there, it's only ruins!"

"But Dale will return to its glory when Erebor does..." Bilbo said, standing next to Tauriel, the little girl was covered by her hood "you were never a leader and you never will be... you abused for too long of this city and its inhabitants, it's time for a change..."

The governor began to laugh "I think you forget the dragon... do you think you can do something against him? You are nothing... besides, do you think that after this I will let you out of town?"

Bilbo smiled "do you really think you can do something against us?" Bard looked worried.

The governor's eyes were filled with anger "catch them!"

"And I wanted to do it in peace..." when the guards were in front of them the governor stopped them. Everyone turned around, looking at the fine dagger in his neck and Delya behind him "you have the option to choose..." Bilbo said looking at the people around her "will follow “that” or you true leader?" humans began to whisper.

Bard looked at the governor, who was now on his knees "what would happen to him?"

"King Thranduil has decided not to continue doing business with him... who follows him will only be signing his death sentence" said Tauriel.

"You are their leader now and something tells me that you had ever been..." Bard looked at her and at that moment Thranduil arrived and the elves who accompanied him surrounded Tauriel, Bilbo and Bard.

 

"Is he?" said the elf king looking at Bard and Bilbo nodded "well, Lord of Dale, inform to you men to pack everything they can carry with them because I plan to leave at dawn..." Bard was silent for several minutes before giving the announcement that those who were willing to follow him had to pack up since they would receive shelter in Mirkwood until Dale was habitable, he informed them of the dwarves intentions to recover Erebor and the chances that Smaug would awaken. In seconds the vast majority of people in the square had disappeared, going to pack, the vast majority were willing to follow Bard, while those who didn’t believe him returned to their homes.

 

 

 

Bard led Thranduil to his home, while Legolas, Tauriel, and the other elves were in charge of assisting those who were to accompany them, preventing the governor's men from interposing.

"Thorin…"

"Thranduil…"

Bard looked at the two people in front of him and I gulp deeply at the idea that if all this worked, he would have to put up with this kind of atmosphere at every meeting.

"Gentlemen please, you're scaring him..." Bilbo said looking to Bard "now, please take a seat because I'm going to explain my plan..." Bard sat down in front of Bilbo, Thorin beside her and Thranduil sat next to Bard "I plan to enter the mountain and take the dragon so Bard can take care of him..."

"Why don’t you make him accompany you?"

Bilbo sighed "like the forest, the mountain is sick... I have to be the first one in, I'd like to wait until Gandalf arrives but we don’t have the time for that... that's another thing I'd like you to stay out of it until I tell you" said looking at Thorin "but I guess that's an impossible request to do..."

"Is there a cure?" said Thorin and Bilbo looked at him "in the mountain?"

"It got sick and weakened when you took its heart... sickening everything in and around..."

"That means that what happened to the forest is their fault!?" Thranduil said standing up.

"Sit down!" the scold of Bilbo surprising everyone "the forest has weakened by the darkness that has been growing in this world and your carelessness... the mountain was only the final blow... Thorin" she said in a kinder tone "the stone must be returned to the mountain, it cannot continue as an ornament of the crown... you say that it is a gift of the valar and you were right is a gift to protect you, but when you removed that protection disappeared and the darkness could approach..."

"Smaug?" Thorin said in a low voice, and Bilbo nodded.

"The stone is polluted and must be cleaned before it is returned to its place..."

"And how do you plan to do it?" asked Thorin and Thranduil at the same time.

"I am glad to see that you are beginning to get along" Bilbo said with a smile causing the elf and the dwarf to growl "I plan to use my magic and the negative energy that it has to clean Mirkwood, that should be enough to clean it and get it back where it belongs..."

"What happens when you do that?" Thranduil asked.

"Erebor will regain her light and no evil will surround her by turning it into the main pillar against the darkness that was always be..."

Bard looked at them and said "wait... magic?" Bilbo nodded and told him what she really was "and what will happen to you?" Bard asked "because something tells me that this will not be as simple as you say..." Bilbo looked away.

Thranduil looked at her and said " _Galadris?"_

"Bilbo?" said Thorin.

"It may not be so easy... but I assure you that I will not die"

"Bilbo" Thorin said harshly but Bilbo interrupted him.

"I'll be fine... there are still things I must do, I will not die so easily..."

Thranduil sighed "you are saying that you plan to enter the mountain to convince a dragon to come out to find its end, trusting a human to fulfill that task, then take the Arkenstone to Mirkwood and clean both the stone and the forest... and then you will return the stone to its place?" Bilbo nodded "and what are we supposed to do?"

"First, you…" she said, pointing to the company "will stay out of the treasure room, I'm not going to risk you to the gold sickness… when the dragon is no longer a problem, you can enter through the front door as you deserve it" she said "and when that happens, you will keep as far away from the gold as you can until I return with The stone..."

"You don’t plan to go alone, do you?"

"No, I'll go with Delya as security and Tauriel as a guide..." there was more of a growl form the dwarves "don’t growl at me I don’t know what effects that stone can have on you and I will not risk you. So you will focus on receiving the caravans of Ered Luin and the Iron Hills, as well as accommodating the elves and men who help-"

"Help?"

"With the orc army"

"My soldiers are ready" Thranduil said.

"I will see who is willing to help..." Bard said.

"We don’t need them with the caravans that come we have enough help..."

"Thorin, honey. When you are offered help it is best to accept it especially if that help can fix the broken relationship between you, so stop being a stubborn dwarf and accept the help they are offering or I’ll make sure that Fili is the crowned as king, did you understand!?" Thorin growled and nodded.

 

 

 

For the next few hours they were in charge of determining the points to play in their future peace agreement.

"I'm surprised you didn’t ask for the necklace that my grandfather didn’t give you" said Thorin, signing the pre-arrangement

"Oh, the necklace is already mine. Isn’t it?" Thranduil said, looking at Bilbo.

"Bilbo?"

"I promised to give him the necklace in exchange for you release"

"You what!?"

"I'll get some of the treasure, will not I? Well I want that necklace to be my part and as such I can decide what to do with it... now stop looking at me like that and let's go to rest tomorrow will be a long day..."

 

 

 

Once everything was settled and the pre-agreement was signed, Thranduil went to see his elves, Bard focused on helping his children to pack, Fili, Kili and Nori who had been getting some information returned. Thorin called Bard to listen to what they had achieved —And?

"Most of the city is on Bard's side" said Fili.

"The governor closed access to supplies and weapons" Kili said.

"The fat guy is planning his revenge... we should do something with him?"

"No, leave him" Bilbo said.

"Bilbo" Thorin said, approaching her "can we talk?" Bilbo nodded "in private?"

Bilbo sighed and smiled at the sight of Delya's displeasure. Bard returned to what he was doing, while the company was in charge of preparing everything for their departure.

"What is the matter?" Bilbo asked as they went to the far window.

"About the necklace-"

"Please, Thorin"

"No, listen to me… I'll give Thranduil the necklace, and you'll get what you deserve."

"You know I don’t care about gold" Thorin nodded "then why?"

"With that gold you can live without worrying… in the mountain" she looked at him.

"You want me to stay?" Thorin nodded.

"I know you have Bag End but I expected you to consider... to stay"

"I..." Bilbo I take a deep breath "Bag End no longer belongs to me"

"What?"

"Being six months away from home is equal to lose all the rights I had..."

"What were you planning to do as soon as we get Erebor?"

"Traveling with Delya, maybe staying in Rivendell for a while... maybe visiting you in Erebor... I don’t know."

"Well I offer you a place you maybe can call home..." Bilbo looked at him ‘How could I accept it when I don’t know if I will survive my next quest... when I don’t know if I will bear the ring?’

"I'll think about it" she said.

Thorin nodded "Bilbo… thank you"

"Don’t thank me until the stone is where it belongs and the mountain returns to her glory..." Thorin smiled.

When they returned, Delya gave Bilbo a great hug "I didn’t leave for so long" Bilbo said, smiling.

Delya smiled and said "happy Birthday. Thank you for being in this world"

"Birthday?"

"I just asked Bard about the date, it's September 22nd"

"I'm 41 years old... I'm beginning to feel the old age" she said, causing Delya to laugh.

"Is it your birthday?"

"We have to celebrate it!" said Fili and Kili in unison.

"I would only like hot food and a bed... I’m too tired and I have not prepared any gifts..."

When Delya see the face of confusion in the faces of the others she explain that the hobbits give gifts instead of receive them. Bombur served them the stew he made with Bard's eldest daughter, and then they all went to bed, not without first congratulating Bilbo and promising her a present as soon as the mountain was their again.


	12. Smaug

* * *

**NOTE:**

 

> 'Thoughts'
> 
> _Sindarin_
> 
> **_Khuzdul_ **
> 
> **Black Speech**

* * *

 

At dawning all women, children And the elders were ready to go with the guards whom Thranduil had assigned for the journey into the forest, while the elf-king, Bard, his soldiers, Thorin and company marched in the direction of the mountain.

When they arrived to the doors of Erebor, Bilbo said goodbye "should you really do it alone?" asked Kili.

Bilbo nodded "it is dangerous to come with me and I have Delya... remember the plan, right?" the dwarves nodded, they would have to wait for Smaug, although they still didn’t understand how she planned take him out; the soldiers would catch the attention of the dragon giving the opportunity to Bard to shoot the arrow. The soldiers took their places, while the company hugged and wished luck to Bilbo, before leaving Thorin asked a moment to speak to her alone "what happen?"

"Bilbo, you have many things to explain but right now I…"

"Thorin, I promise I’ll return and answer all your questions… I'll be careful... nothing bad will happen"

"Thank you" Bilbo looked confused "for all this, I do not know how you did but... thank you"

Bilbo smiled "do not thank me until I finish the work..." Bilbo approached him and kissed him on the cheek "and be sure to be here when I return" with that said she headed for the secret entrance.

 

 

 

Bilbo had faith that everything would turn out well, when she arrive at the door she wait for the light of the moon and opened the door, entered and just as the first time the view of the treasure was impressive, Delya transformed into a cat and Bilbo said "remember the plan?" Delya meow 'you distract the dragon while I look for the jewel with my stone-sense' Bilbo nodded "and when is the time?" she meow again 'start the fun'.

Like the first time Bilbo walked on the treasure as delicately as she could, with her true form was much more easy since the feet of a fairy are smaller and therefore quieter that of a hobbit but she still hears the coins fall, she looks around and realized that it was not she who had caused that collapse, at that moment she saw a large pile of coins move next to her and a golden eye appear, the dragon stared at her. Bilbo smiled to see Smaug slowly rising, he was much bigger than she remembered. Smaug stretched his wings and looked at the little creature "but what do we have here?" said the dragon lowering his head as much as he could. The little creature had not run terrified to see him, that little one was brave enough or stupid enough to confront him directly or so cowardly that he had froze at the sight of him.

Bilbo offered him a bow and said "I regret my rudeness, O Smaug the tremendous! But I was surprised to see you, after all the stories about you are nothing next to you!"

The dragon was flattered, but he was not stupid to believe "you come to steal some wealth, little thief!"

"What make you think that I am a thief... oh Smaug, the most important and great of calamities!"

"You have good manners to be a thief and a liar" said the dragon "you seem to know my name, but I don’t think I have smelled your kind before... what are you? You smell like a dwarf but you're too thin and you're short of hair to be one, but you're too small to be a human or an elf... tell me who you are and where you come from..."

"I thought the dragons knew everything..." Smaug growled "I’m from below the hill, and under the hills and on the hills led me the paths. And by the air. I am the one who walks without attracting attention"

"I can believe that" Smaug said "but I want to know what you are..."

"I am the web-cutter, the stinging fly. I was chosen by the lucky number"

The dragon laughed "the lucky numbers don’t always bring it"

"I am the one who buries his living friends, drowns them and brings them alive again from the waters. I come from a closed bag, but I have not been in any bag"

"These last ones don’t sound so believable" Smaug sneered.

"I am the friend of the bears and the guest of the eagles. I am the bearer of fortune; And I am the Barrel Rider" Bilbo continued remembering the riddles of the first time.

"That's better!" said Smaug following her "but don’t let your imagination slip away, little one!" said Smaug grunting "very well, oh barrel rider!" said aloud "you can walk without being seen, but you didn’t walk all the way... I have not laughed for a long time, so I will give you a little advice, just for your sake: Don’t do more deals with dwarves while you can avoid it!"

"Dwarver!?" Bilbo said pretending surprise.

"I told you you smell like a dwarf!" said Smaug "and believe me I know the smell and taste of dwarves better than anyone. You will go from bad to worse with such friends, thief... now tell me who you are... there is something in you that catches my attention, that is why I still didn’t burn you alive..."

"I tell you I'm no thief!"

"Tell me… those dwarfs, they told you that you will have a fair share? Don’t believe it! Consider yourself fortunate if you come alive"

"It is true that they offered me an equal share of the treasure that you have under your feet... but that isn’t the reason why I am here, I came because I want to help them to recover their home..."

"JA! The only way for that to happen is that I die and believe me I've never heard of a dragon killed by a barrel rider!"

"Well, I'm sorry to say that in your future I only see your body inert..."

"You think that a..." he smelled her "I know what, will kill me!?" he said laughing.

"No but I have friends who can beat you..." Bilbo said smiling as she saw the stone in Delya's hands.

"JAJAJA! I propose a deal tell me that you are and I can be merciful and leave you alive!

"I give you some advice... look behind you..." Smaug turned his head to look at a huge black dragon behind him, was much bigger than him so he could not help shrinking a little to see it, looking everywhere he couldn’t explain where he had come from, and when he asked, he only received a great roar of response. The stone rolled to the feet of Bilbo, who at the moment Smaug turned around ran as fast as she could to take refuge.

 

 

Those who were out of the mountain were nervous and the great trembling that they felt did not help much "what was that?" Ori asked.

"That lad was a dragon..." Balin said.

 

 

While the dwarves ate their nails without knowing what to do. Bilbo watched the battle of two great dragons. Delya placed herself on Smaug with one hand immobilizing his wings, the other placed on his neck and practically sat on him immobilizing him and Bilbo came "give me a wish... tell me who you are?"

"I am one of the guardian races of the earth and all of her beings..." Smaug smiled "you're trying to say that you're a... fairy!"

"Almost but not!" Smaug grunted but then smiled "you're a mongrel!" he said triumphantly.

"Correct!" said Bilbo realizing that even a dragon can be a bit competitive "I am half fairy, but what about my other half... a being full of simplicity and kindness..."

"I don’t think I have known such a being!"

"It's a shame! I bet you would have had a lot of fun talking to one, they don’t live much, so they enjoy every minute, they live every day treating others like they want to be treated, we are lovers of small details, we don’t collect wealth but good moments... oh and we love the riddles!" Bilbo said smiling as she remembered that she was the champion for several consecutive years in the shire. But Smaug's laughter drove her out of her thoughts.

"JAJAJA! You're a really curious and brave creature I must admit... Anyone never talked to me the way you do... tell me why your friend didn’t kill me?" Bilbo smiled as Delya snorted.

"If I let you go, you'll come back. The best thing is to kill you... but I think that you are not only a being of destruction ... I think you can do good, that's why I'll give you a second chance" she said placing her hand on Smaug's face, then a strange golden necklace appeared on him "from now on you are mine-"

"What is this? What did you do to me?"

"Fairies used their powers to keep the animals that were a danger under their control... I learned it from a book..." she said with a smile "you will not be able to disobey me..." that stopped what Smaug was going to say. Bilbo looked at Delya who was beginning to reduce her size "look for Thranduil's necklace..." Delya nodded and started the search "and you" she said looking at Smaug "you are my responsibility and I will not let anyone hurt you..." Delya approached them giving Bilbo a box, opening it inside was Thranduil's necklace "but you've done a lot of damage and those who are out there expect their revenge... so you'll give it to them..."

"What do you mean?"

"You’ll go out and you will give to Bard, Lord of Dale, the perfect angle so that he can strike you in the chest with a black arrow-"

"I thought you were going to protect me and instead you send me to my death-"

"That arrow has my blood, and is the last step to close our bond... my blood will give you new abilities..."

"What happens when the arrow hits me?"

"You will shrink and Delya will take care of hiding you"

"And then?"

"You'll sleep until I tell you... I'm Bilbo Baggins Took and from today until the last of my days I will be the one to watch for your safety and you for mine... now go"

 

 

 

At that moment Smaug got up and went to the front door without being able to avoid it he did everything Bilbo had told him. As soon as the arrow touched his chest his body shine, no one could see what happened next, but Smaug's body shrank to the size of a cat and from the shadows Delya took him and handed him to Bilbo, who hid the unconscious dragon in one of her pockets. When the light disappeared they all saw Bilbo standing at the gates of Erebor "what happened?" asked Kili when he approached to her and she step back.

"I save you from the task of have to clean the rests of a dragon"

"I don’t know that you could do that" said Thranduil, approaching them.

"You don’t know everything... and this is yours" she said. Handing the box with the necklace. Thranduil bowed and handed the necklace to his son "you can enter to your home" she said looking at the dwarves and smiling.

"Tonight we will eat in Erebor!"

"Bilbo-" said Thorin approaching to her but she took a step back.

"I've got the stone with me... I just don’t want to risk it"

"Wait ... then" said Fili.

"I'm leaving... there's still something to be done. I must do it" she looks at Tauriel, who was riding a beautiful black horse "stay away from the throne room and the treasure... only until I return..." the dwarves nodded but one of them stared at her. Wanting to do more, to say more but only can stare at her.


End file.
